Colombia expressed concern and sought an explanation Wednesday after revelations the United States had spied on the South American country, its closest military ally in Latin America. In a brief statement, Colombia's foreign ministry said it "registered its concern" that there had been an "unauthorized data-collection program" and asked the U.S. administration to explain its actions through its embassy in Bogota. A Brazilian newspaper reported Tuesday that the U.S. National Security Agency (NSA) targeted most Latin American countries with surveillance programs that monitored internet traffic, especially in Mexico, Brazil, Venezuela, and Colombia. Citing documents leaked by fugitive U.S. intelligence ex-contractor Edward Snowden, O Globo newspaper said the NSA programs went beyond military affairs in the region to what it termed "commercial secrets," including oil and energy.
