Argentina politicians 'spied on'

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-23325366

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Argentina's foreign minister has given prosecutors a list of more than 100 politicians and officials he claims have been victims of espionage.

Hector Timerman said a high-ranking official had given him the list at Friday's meeting of the Mercosur regional group in Uruguay.

He said the document includes email addresses and passwords for politicians, diplomats and journalists.

He did not accuse any country of carrying out the spying.

Latin American nations registered their annoyance with the US last week after reports based on leaks from ex-CIA contractor Edward Snowden suggested the US was conducting widespread espionage in the region.

The Brazilian O Globo newspaper alleged the US had tracked web traffic across the region and had monitored the emails and phone conversations of millions of Brazilian citizens.

The allegations sparked an angry response from South American presidents at the Mercosur meeting.

Mr Timerman has refused to confirm whether the illegal surveillance in Argentina was carried out by the US, says the BBC's Ignacio de los Reyes in Buenos Aires.

The minister said another cabinet member from a different nation received a similar list.