BRASILIA, Brazil (AP) Brazil on Monday demanded clarifications from the Canadian government about allegations that its spies targeted Brazil's Mines and Energy Ministry, in what Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff said appears to be an act of industrial espionage.
Foreign Minister Luiz Alberto Figueiredo summoned the Canadian ambassador in the capital, Brasilia, to "transmit the indignation of the Brazilian government and demand explanations," the Foreign Ministry said in a statement that followed the revelations, aired Sunday night on Brazil's Globo network.
The report said the metadata of phone calls and emails from and to the ministry were targeted by Canada's Communications Security Establishment to map the ministry's communications. It didn't indicate if emails were read or phone calls listened to.
The report was based on documents leaked by former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden and was the latest showing that Latin America's biggest nation has been a target for United States, British and now Canadian spy agencies.
During Monday's meeting, Figueiredo expressed "the government's repudiation of this serious and unacceptable violation of national sovereignty and the rights of people and companies," the Foreign Ministry statement said.