Bergoglio ‘was kept under surveillance by two presidents’

The Argentine Government allegedly spied on the future Pope Francis during much of his time as Archbishop of Buenos Aires, writes Isabel de Bertodano.

Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio was kept under surveillance for about eight years, according to a city councillor who has written a report alleging crimes committed by the Government’s former intelligence chief, Antonio Stiuso, also known as Jaime Stiuso. The councillor says the practice began under President Nestor Kirchner, and continued under the current President, Kirchner’s widow, Cristina Fernández de Kirchner.

The allegations of spying came from Gustavo Vera, a friend of the Pope, who published a report denouncing Stiuso. Cardinal Bergoglio would turn on the radio during sensitive meetings, to make it more difficult for the wire tap to pick up the voices, Mr Vera told the Italian newspaper La Stampa. 

The report from Mr Vera is part of a wider investigation into the death of lawyer Alberto Nisman. Nisman had alleged that President  Fernández colluded with the Iranian Government over the cover-up of the 1994 bombing of a Jewish community centre. She is now under investigation.