Relations between Peru and Chile suffer over spying accusations
Perus foreign minister says his country awaits to hear a reply from Chile after a diplomatic scandal revealed that Peruvian naval officers are accused of spying…
Peruvian President Ollanta Humala (L) congratulates Jose Luis Perez Guadalupe (R) after swearing him in as his new Minister of Interior during a ceremony at the Presidential Palace in Lima on February 17, 2015. Peru is asking Chile for answers after naval officers were accused of spying for Chile.(CRIS BOURONCLE/AFP Getty images)
Perus foreign minister says his country awaits to hear a reply from Chile after a diplomatic scandal revealed that Peruvian naval officers are accused of spying for the neighboring nation.
This announcement comes after three Peruvian navy officers were accused of allegedly spying for Chile between 2005 and 2012. Two of the three officers are currently standing trial for treason in a Peruvian military court, while the third is under investigation.
Peru’s President Ollanta Humala sent a strongly worded letter to Chilean officials on Saturday and announced that he would withdraw the Peruvian ambassador from Chile. In an interview on RPP Noticias, Peruvian foreign minister Gonzalo Gutierrez said he spoke last week with his Chilean colleague, Heraldo Muñoz, to express his concern about the case. Hes requesting Chile investigate the spying allegations.
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The three naval officials allegedly posed as Italian businessmen in the process of attempting to sell information to the Chilean navy, according to Latin Ametica News Dispatch.
Peru and Chile were on a good roll but these recent allegations have rocked relations between the two countries. (Shutterstock)
The scandal has caused turmoil for Humala, not to mention, it has had reverberations throughout Peru’s political class. Peru’s Minister of Defense confirmed that the officials were arrested and are being investigated by a military court.
The Chilean Foreign Minister stated Sunday that he is in consultation with the Chilean ambassador in Peru in order to help prepare the official response to Peru’s diplomatic letter.
Peruvian First Lady Nadine Heredia (L) participates with President Ollanta Humala (R) in the swearing in ceremony of five members of his cabinet at the Presidential Palace in Lima on February 17, 2015. AFP PHOTO/CRIS BOURONCLE (Photo credit should read CRIS BOURONCLE/AFP/Getty Images)
In the official diplomatic letter, the Peruvian government stated that it rejects, in the strongest terms, the acts of espionage against its national security. It also demanded that Chile provide guarantees that it not happen again.
Relations between Chile and Peru were steadily improving since an international court resolved a maritime dispute in 2014. However, Humala has publicly stated that this spying scandal could damage relations between the countries.
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The scandal has caused turmoil for Humala, not to mention, it has had reverberations throughout Peru’s political class. (Shutterstock)
“This government is not going to accept unfriendly acts of this nature,” Humala said. “And even less so from countries with which we’ve been working in a sustained way.”
Chile’s foreign minister has said that his country seeks to maintain positive diplomatic relations.
