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September 9, 2013

Rousseff: U.S. Visit Hinges on "Political Conditions" Following Spying Claims 
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The news of more National Security Agency spying in Brazil comes one
week after it emerged the United States has spied on the phone calls and
emails of Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff and Mexican President
Enrique Peña Nieto. The revelations have sparked a diplomatic uproar
and threatened a planned trip by Rousseff to the United States next
month. At the G-20 Summit in Russia, Rousseff said she raised her
concerns directly with President Obama, and added that her visit to the
United States will depend on how Obama responds.

Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff: "President Obama reiterated he
wanted to create the political conditions for my trip to the United
States and he knew that this depends on adopting the measures in line
with what the Brazilian government requires. He reiterated this clearly
to me. So, my trip to the United States depends on political
conditions."

Brazil has rejected the U.S. government's attempt to explain the spying
so far. Brazilian communications minister Paulo Bernardo said: "All of
the explanations that have been given to us from the beginning have
proven to be false." In an interview with the Hindu newspaper, former
Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva criticized the NSA spy
program and said President Obama should "personally apologize to the
world."

 

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