MERCOSUR Concerned About U.S. Intelligence Gathering

By an IPS Correspondent Reprint | | Print |

UNITED NATIONS, Aug 5 2013 (IPS) - At a closed-door meeting with Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon Monday, members of MERCOSUR, the South American common market, expressed concern about U.S. intelligence surveillance overseas as revealed by whistleblower Edward Snowden who has been given political asylum in Russia last week.

After the meeting , Foreign Ministers of Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay and Venezuela met with reporters.   Speaking on behalf of MERCOSUR, Venezuelan Minister of Foreign Affairs Elias Jaua Milano, told reporters U.S. intelligence gathering was infringing on “individual rights, human rights, and rights of privacy and of information.”

In a statement released here, the spokesman for the secretary-general said the foreign ministers expressed concern about reported large-scale surveillance programmes and also the incidents that affected the 2 July flight of President Evo Morales of Bolivia (which has refused air space by several European nations on the mistaken belief  that Snowden was onboard  that plane).  The ministers also raised the question of the Falkland Islands (Malvinas), the embargo against Cuba and the situation in Haiti.

The Secretary-General noted, as the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights had stated recently, that UN human rights mechanisms had pointed to important rights and privacy issues at stake in connection with surveillance.  He reiterated the need to safeguard these fundamental rights.

The Secretary-General reiterated that a Head of State and his or her aircraft enjoy immunity and inviolability.  The Secretary-General thanked the Latin American  region for its contribution to Haiti, discussed the latest developments on the sustainable development agenda and the hemispheric debate on the issue of drugs.

The lack of respect European countries towards Morales was also echoed by the South American states.

Antonio de Aguiar Patriota, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Brazil said the attitude of European countries towards Morales in July was “unprecedented,” and that they needed to show “necessary respect” towards peaceful South American’s governments.

He explained the goal was only to “raise an alert,” adding on behalf of the MERCOSUR’s members that it was “not on them to take initiatives.”