Obama Moves to Defuse Spying Row with Brazil, Mexico
President Barack Obama moved to defuse a row with Brazil and Mexico over alleged U.S. spying on leaders of the Latin American countries, promising them that the United States would cooperate to address concerns over the claims.
Obama told Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff and Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto in separate meetings at the G20 summit that he understood their concerns.
He also sought to downplay the impact of the snooping claims on their relations, saying tensions on the issue did not mean it overrides their wide-ranging common interests.
His pledge appeared to have had some effect towards easing tensions with the Latin American giants, as Rousseff was not only all smiles as Obama took his place next to her during a group photograph session Friday at the G20 summit, but she also reciprocated when he leaned over to kiss her on the cheek.
Outrage followed the Sunday report by U.S. journalist Glenn Greenwald, who has access to documents leaked by fugitive former NSA contractor Edward Snowden, that the National Security Agency snooped on communications of Rousseff and Pena Nieto.
On Thursday, Brazil halted preparations for Rousseff's October visit to the United States -- which would have been her first to Washington and the first state visit by a foreign leader this year.
Mexico meanwhile demanded an investigation into the claims.
With all three leaders in Saint Petersburg for the G20 summit, Obama went to damage control mode, and held separate bilateral talks with Rousseff and Pena Nieto on Thursday.
Brasilia said Friday that Obama has promised answers by Wednesday to the allegations, while Pena Nieto said Obama gave a "personal commitment and desire to launch an investigation, and if actions took place outside the law, find who is responsible and impose corresponding sanctions."
Obama said: "What I assured President Rousseff and President Pena Nieto is that I take these allegations very seriously, I understand their concerns, the concerns of the Mexican and Brazilian people. We will work with their teams to resolve what is the source of tensions."
He stressed the importance of their relations.
"Just because there're tensions doesn't mean it overrides all the incredibly wide-ranging interests that we share with so many of these countries," he said.
"We will work through this particular issue, it doesn't detract from larger concerns we have and the opportunities that we both want to take advantage of," he said.
Greenwald, who is based in Rio de Janeiro, reported Sunday that the NSA was using a program to access all Internet content Rousseff visited online.
He told Globo television that the NSA was trying to better understand Rousseff's methods of communication and interlocutors.
The NSA program allegedly allowed agents to access the entire communications network of the president and her staff, including telephone, Internet and social network exchanges, the Rio-based journalist said.
He also said some of Pena Nieto's email, phone calls and text messages were intercepted, including communications in which he discussed potential cabinet members before he was elected in July 2012.
On Monday, both Brazil and Mexico summoned the U.S. ambassadors in their respective countries to demand an explanation for the latest disclosures.
Brazilian Foreign Minister Luis Figueiredo said that, if proven, the report that Rousseff was spied on "represents an unacceptable and impermissible violation of Brazilian sovereignty."
Communications Minister Paulo Bernardo said the scope of the espionage was broader and more serious than initially thought.
"All of the explanations given (by the United States) since the start of these episodes are revealed to be false," he said Tuesday.
Source: Agence France Presse
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