Lima, March 31 (teleSUR-RHC) Foreign minister of Peru, Gonzalo Gutiérrez said on Monday leaked messages between senior Chilean and Peruvian Navy officials using a social media application confirmed Chile was spying.

Gutierrez said he and President Ollanta Humala were aware of the leaked correspondence, which Peru officials say is authentic. In the conversation over Whatsapp between the Chilean Admiral Oscar Aranda and his Peruvian counterpart Raul Robles – who is not one of the Peruvian Navy officials accused of spying for Chile – Aranda confessed the spying allegations are true, adding that these had been undertaken following Peru's maritime boundary suit at the International Court of Justice in The Hague in 2013.

Three non-commissioned Peruvian navy officers are accused of selling information to Chilean navy officials, traveling to Chile posing as Italian businessmen.

Humala gave his southern neighbors an ultimatum as the Chilean government has one week to respond to the spying complaint.

Humala said his government will remain firm in demanding an apology from Santiago de Chile. The leader has also urged the government of Chilean President Michelle Bachelet to provide "the assurance that such spying activities will never happen again."