The President of Brazil, Dilma Rousseff, cancelled her planned trip to the United States in late October because Brazilian authorities are still waiting for an explanation on the alleged American espionage activities, CNN reported.
According to CNN, the president's team for the trip would be comprised of diplomats and security agents who would arrive a week early in Washington to carry out logistics planning and a review of facilities.
A spokesperson for the president of Brazil said that Dilma Rousseff "wants an apology from the United States government" after the NSA's espionage and Internet communication interception activities were made public.
In Brazil, television network TV Globo reported that the NSA carried out communications interceptions against President Rousseff and her advisors, which is why Rousseff stated she might cancel her state visit to the United States.
The Brazilian government based its denunciation on documents made public by American journalist Glenn Greenwald, who received NSA material from Edward Snowden; CNN also reported that within the G-20 Summit, taking place in St. Petersburg, Russia, President Obama and President Rousseff can meet to talk about and clear up the subject.
CNN noted that President Obama's national security advisor, Ben Rhodes, said, "We will work with the Brazilians so that they can have a better understanding of what we do and don't do. I know they (Obama and Rousseff) are meeting, I think they're sitting next to each other in G-20 sessions at this very moment, so I'm sure they'll have a chance to talk".
Furthermore, CNN noted that the Brazilian president's visit to the United States would be the first from a Brazilian president since 1995, when President Fernando Henrique Cardoso was welcomed to the White House by then-U.S. President Bill Clinton.
- Contribute to this Story:
- Send us a tip
- Send us a photo or video
- Suggest a correction
