Puricelli about the ‘Project X’: “The government never spied on anyone”

Argentina, March 8, 2013

The Defense Minister Arturo Puricelli, said on Thursday that “the national government never ordered to spy anyone,” but said that “the activities of the forces can lead to some confusion with intelligence work.”

Puricelli spoke about the project of espionage against social and political leaders, known under the name “Project X” between 2004 and 2011.

The minister said: “I understand that the security forces are not doing internal intelligence. Sometimes, indeed, the task of the Ministry of Security is in a very immediate border with what may be intelligence activities and this can lead to some confusion. “

Puricelli replaced as head of the Defense Ministry to the current Security Minister Nilda Garre, who promptly “denied that intelligence work on Social Organizations’.

To Radio La Red, Puricelli said: “If anything characterizes the government is its transparent and that tried to have a very clear attitude on activities, without any task that might affect human rights.”

The opposition deputies: Victoria Donda, Claudio Lozano, Víctor De Gennaro, Elida Rasino, Ricardo Gil Lavedra, Alfonso Prat Gay and Margarita Stolbizer presented a draft resolution to interpellate the Minister Garre to report ‘the existence of the so-called Project X Gendarmerie with which spied on leaders and members of social movements and political opponents’.

The alleged espionage drew criticism in areas such as Professional Center for Human Rights, whose lawyer, Myriam Bregman, said that “the national government” continues to lie ‘about the so-called’ Project X ‘”.