Peru president slams Chile in espionage row

Ariza, who reportedly confessed, would have earned 3,000 dollars a month for his involvement in passing on information, prosecutors said.

Peru's President Alan Garcia on Monday voiced outrage at Chile for spying after a Peruvian official was arrested for passing on secret information to Santiago.

- I want to express, to our country, the Chilean people, all of South America and the world community, my total and energetic rejection of this offense that has been done to Peru's sovereignty - Garcia said in a speech at his office.

- These are repulsive acts that are not in line with the conduct of a democratic nation, and make Chile look very bad to the rest of the world - the Peruvian president said charging that "certain sectors" and not the Chilean people were to blame.

In an apparent reference to Chile's conservatives and military, Garcia said - they still have the customs of the Pinochet-era dictatorship when it comes to their neighbors. -

Chile has denied spying.

The row prompted Garcia on Saturday to cancel planned talks with Chilean President Michelle Bachelet and quit an Asia-Pacific summit in Singapore a day early.

The Chileans, identified as Daniel Marquez Torrealba and Victor Vergara Rojas, were allegedly working with an officer of the Peruvian Air Force, Victor Ariza Mendoza, whose detention was announced last week.

News reports said that Ariza, who worked in 2002 in Peru's embassy in Santiago, has been charged with - revealing state secrets, money laundering and espionage - on behalf of Chile since September 2005.

Ariza, who reportedly confessed, would have earned 3,000 dollars a month for his involvement in passing on information, prosecutors said.