Uruguay became the world's first country to make public data on serving secret services officers.
The documents provide information on the ranks and salaries of a total of 222 officers. Last May, an average Uruguayan spy earned from $155 up to $628, the El Observador newspaper said.
The allies of Uruguay's President Tabare Vasquez believe that declassifying information on secret agents is necessary for the country's democratic reforms, but agents were apparently described as being shocked by the move.
The government believes the approach will help to avoid the tragic events of the 1973-1985 military rule, during which many Uruguayans were held as political prisoners and tortured.
Meanwhile, a high ranking secret service agent denounced the move as unjustified saying that "such actions undermine the basis of intelligence activity and inflict damage on national security."
