Brazil's President Postpones Visit to U.S. Due to NSA Spying

Revelations about National Security Agency spying has elicited the ire of foreign leaders as well as U.S. citizens. 

One such leader is Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff, who postponed a visit to the United States after learning that the N.S.A spied on her, her administration and the leaders at Brazil's largest company, the oil company Petrobras, The New York Times reports. 

President Rousseff was made aware of the spying due to the disclosures of Edward J. Snowdown, former N.S.A. contractor. The revelations have cooled the United States' ties with many foreign nations, including Germany. 

The postponement of a diplomatic visit to the United States is very rare. The suspension of the visit threatens to harm U.S. ties to Brazil, which is Latin America's largest nation and the world's top trading partner with China, a country that is a constant economic threat to the United States. For years, the U.S. has worked to strengthen ties with the Latin American nation, and this setback threatens to unravel years of diplomatic progress. 

President Obama spoke to Ms. Rousseff via telephone for 20 minutes on Monday night in an attempt to cajole her to change her mind. Alas, his supplications could not convince Rousseff to come around. The meeting had been scheduled for late October. 

Rousseff was very perturbed upon hearing about the spying in her country, prompting her to demand an explanation from the Obama Administration. 

John Kerry traveled to Brazil to discuss the N.S.A revelations, but the Brazilian officials decried his explanations as unsatisfactory. 

The White House issued a statement on Tuesday, saying that the "broad relationship" between Brazil and the United States "should not be overshadowed by a single bilateral issue, no matter how important or challenging the issue may be."

"The president has said that he understands and regrets the concerns that disclosures of alleged U.S. intelligence activities have generated in Brazil and made clear that he is committed to working together with President Rousseff and her government in diplomatic channels to move beyond this issue as a source of tension in our bilateral relationship," the statement continued.

The White House also stated that an inspection into N.S.A practices could take months to complete. Hence, the leaders agreed to delay the meetings until the issue is thoroughly investigated. 

Many are concerned that delaying the visit could affect the commerce between the countries.

"It's simply disappointing to see this turn in policy," said Christian Lohbauer, a political scientist at the University of São Paulo. "The diplomatic agenda should be focused on what's practical for both nations, which in Brazil's case is developing its economy through strong relations with a country like the United States."

Even before the visit was delayed, the U.S.' recent actions have dampened ties with Brazil. Washington did not come out in support of Brazil's bid for a permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council, as they did with India in 2010. Obama has also pushed the Brazil issue aside due to the urgency of the current Syria conundrum. Some believe the Obama Administration's attitude toward Brazil has adversely affected U.S.-Brazil relations. 

"The inaction in the face of such an overreach has proved costly," said Michael Shifter, president of the Inter-American Dialogue, a Washington policy group.