In an embarrassment for the United States, Brazil’s President Dilma Rousseff has called off her plans for a state visit to Washington next month in what is being seen as a protest against America’s far-reaching surveillance that reportedly included tapping her own personal communications.
Rousseff opted to stick to her decision despite persuasion by President Barack Obama, who held a 20-minute telephone conversation with her on Monday night.The White House, however, sought to play down the issue, casting it as a mutually-agreed postponement of the presidential visit.
But the Brazilian Government put out a strongly-worded statement on the subject, saying: “Illegal surveillance practices intercepting the communication and data of citizens, companies and members of the Brazilian Government constitute a serious affront to national sovereignty and individual rights, and are incompatible with democratic cooperation between friendly nations.”
The revelations that the US National Security Agency had snooped on emails, text messages and calls between President Rousseff and her aides came from documents leaked by American whistleblower Edward Snowden.
According to reports from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil’s Congress has opened an investigation on the issue and wants to send members to Moscow to interview Snowden, who has been given temporary asylum by the Russian Government.
White House spokesman Jay Carney, who faced a barrage of questions on the subject, said the US was working with the Brazilian government to address the concerns.
Saying President Obama agreed with his Brazilian counterpart on the postponement, Carney said: “The President believes and President Rousseff believes, as I understand it, should not be overshadowed by any single bilateral issue, no matter how important or challenging the issue may be. And we’re certainly acknowledging the concerns that these disclosures have generated in Brazil and other countries.”
Carney also spoke of Obama’s directions for a broad review of the US intelligence posture, but noted that the process would take several months to complete.