Secretary of State Kerry
with Brazil Foreign Minister Antonio Patriota,
at a press conference in
Brasilia yesterday. Even in diplomatic terms,
Patriota's criticism of U.S. espionage activity was withering.
Foreign Minister Tells Kerry: 'Terminate' Spying on Brazilians (Jornal Do Brasil, Brazil)
"If [these issues] are not resolved satisfactorily, we run
the risk of casting a cloud of suspicion over our work. ... the process of
clarification is not an end in itself, and the provision of clarifications
should not be the only U.S. reaction to these complaints."
Secretary of State Kerry listens as Brazil Foreign Minister Antonio Patriota tells him that the United States must 'terminate' its espionage activities against 'citizens of Brazil and other countries.'
On
Tuesday, Foreign Minister Antonio Patriota put it to
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry that the espionage carried out by U.S.
agencies against citizens of Brazil and others countries should be terminated.
According to Patriota, if the practice continued, doubts
and suspicion would damage relations between the U.S. and Brazil.
As Patriota demanded detailed explanations about the data monitoring done in Brazil, the
chancellor's reaction surprised Kerry, who promised more information for Brazilian
authorities. However, Patriota said, explanations alone will not resolve the
impasse.
“We
believe that the United States will find no better partner in the fight against
terrorism as long as its actions are carried out in a transparent manner. When actions
are taken cooperatively, it builds confidence. When there is a lack of
information, that can undermine confidence.”
The
Brazilian chancellor reiterated that if the impasse arising from the
allegations of espionage is not resolved, as Brazilian authorities expect, it
will put the positive relationship the two countries have maintained at risk.
“If
[these issues] are not resolved satisfactorily, we run the risk of casting a cloud
of suspicion over our work,” Patriota said.
Posted By Worldmeets.US
In
his conversation with Kerry, Patriota reminded him
that the Brazilian government sought explanations from the United States the minute
news about the data monitoring of citizens and authorities in Brazil came to
light.
“We
cannot minimize the issue of espionage, because we have a commitment to
democracy, good governance, and the openness of civil society. We live in an atmosphere
of democracy and social justice,” the chancellor said. However, the process of
clarification is not an end in itself, and the provision of clarifications
should not be the only U.S. reaction to these complaints, Patriota
said.
The
chancellor recalled that the nations of Mercosur
adopted a joint measure - seeking United Nations action on the espionage
allegations, which expresses, “a legitimate concern about practices that may be
detrimental to the [rights] of individuals.”
The
conversation between Patriota and Kerry lasted nearly
an hour and a half. It was the second encounter between the two since the North
American took over as Secretary of State in February. The first was in May.
