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Wikileaks: NSA spied on Brazilian president

July 5, 2015

In its latest publication, Wikileaks has released a list of Brazilian targets monitored by the US National Security Agency (NSA). The list includes Brazil's President Dilma Rousseff and many of the country's ambassadors.

https://p.dw.com/p/1FsqY
USA Treffen Barack Obama mit Dilma Rousseff
Image: Getty Images/AFP/S. Loeb

Whistleblowing organization Wikileaks published on Saturday a list of 29 Brazilian government phone numbers monitored by the US National Security Agency (NSA).

"Our publication today shows the US has a long way to go to prove its dragnet surveillance on 'friendly' governments is over," said a statement from Wikileaks founder Julian Assange.

Saturday's publication comes on the heels of Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff's official state visit to meet with American President Barack Obama earlier this week.

Rousseff's trip on June 30 was the Brazilian president's first to the US after her first scheduled trip was cancelled in 2013 due to similar revelations that the NSA had been spying on her and other Brazilian officials.

'It has passed'

Meanwhile, Brazil's government spokesperson Edinho Silva said that Rousseff's meeting with Obama this week witnessed a "relaunch" of relations, referring to the leaks as "old episodes."

"The US government itself recognized its mistake internationally and made a commitment to change this practice. For the Brazilian government, it has passed," Silva said on Saturday.

Trusting US assurances?

However, Assange said the Brazilian president was not yet safe despite any overtures from the US government.

"Even if US assurances of ceasing its targeting of President Rousseff could be trusted, which they cannot, it is fanciful to imagine that President Rousseff can run Brazil by talking to herself all day," Assange said, referring to other targets, including former foreign minister and current Ambassador to the US Luiz Alberto Figueiredo Machado.

The list released Saturday included Brazilian ambassadors to Germany, France, Switzerland and Belgium.

"If President Rousseff wants to see more US investment in Brazil on the back of her recent trip as she claims, how can she assure Brazilian companies that their US counterparts will not have an advantage provided by this surveillance, until she can really guarantee the spying has stopped - not just on her, but on all Brazilian issues," Assange concluded.

Saturday's publication comes on the heels of recent revelations that the NSA spied on officials in Germany and France, including three French presidents.

ls/bk (AFP, dpa, EFE)