Mexico strongly condemns alleged US electronic spying Published duration 21 October 2013

image caption Mr Obama told Mexico's president he would personally look at spying claims

Mexico has strongly condemned alleged US spying after a report said that a former president's emails were hacked by the National Security Agency.

Data leaked by fugitive US analyst Edward Snowden showed ex-President Felipe Calderon's emails were hacked in 2010, Germany's Der Spiegel reports.

Mexico's foreign ministry said such spying was "unacceptable, illegal" and contrary to good relations.

It urged President Obama to complete an investigation into the allegations.

In an official statement, the Mexican foreign ministry said it would soon re-iterate the importance of such an investigation through diplomatic means.

"In a relationship between neighbours and partners, there is no place for the alleged practices," it said.

Previous reports had already suggested the NSA had intercepted communications involving current President Enrique Pena Nieto before he took office in 2012 and Brazil's President Dilma Rousseff. Messages involving her aides and state oil company Petrobas were also said to have been compromised.

The revelations prompted a sharp response from Brazil, with the suspension of plans for a state visit by Ms Rousseff to Washington next month.

'Full investigation'

The NSA is also alleged to have seen electronic data from other Latin American governments, including Venezuela and Ecuador.

At the G20 meeting in Russia last month, Mr Obama promised to investigate the allegations of espionage against Ms Rousseff and her Mexican counterpart.

"What I got from President Obama was a commitment to a full investigation... and if they turn out to be true to impose corresponding sanctions," Mr Pena Nieto told the BBC.

The allegations were also based on documents leaked by Mr Snowden.

A US federal court has since filed espionage charges against the former intelligence contractor and is seeking his extradition.

Mr Snowden, however, remains in Russia where he has been granted temporary asylum.