Argentine gov't summons British ambassador on spying report

The Argentine government has summoned Britain's ambassador to answer questions about a recent news report that alleged the British conducted electronic spying on the South American country.

According to a statement yesterday, the Foreign Ministry called British Ambassador John Freeman to speak about last week's report in The Intercept, a British website.

Intercept said Britain conducted an electronic spying program focused on Argentina between 2006 and 2011. The website said the report was based on documents released by former intelligence officer Edward Snowden.

It said the operation may have included implanting computer viruses and circulating false information to discredit Argentina's claim on the Falkland Islands.
 

The islands about 500 kilometres east of Argentina are claimed by both Britain and Argentina.