Presidents Rousseff and Obama at the White House last year: While the
global uproar over the NSA's mass surveillance has died down in much
of the world, the issue
remains hot in Brazil, where opposition leaders
see electoral calculations
in Rousseff's decision to put off her state visit
to the United States next
month.
Opposition Rips President Rousseff for
Delaying U.S. State Visit (O Globo, Brazil)
"This is once again an abdication of the real interests of Brazil for the purpose of focusing on electoral marketing ... In our view, it would be much more appropriate for the president to say this directly and objectively to the American president and take advantage of this trip not only for confronting this issue, but to defend the interests of our economy and even of certain Brazilian companies. ... Likewise, it is unacceptable that the Brazilian government hasn't even spent 10 percent of the budget approved for cyber defense."
-- Senator
AécioNeves of Brazil's Social
Democracy Party
Senator Aécio Neves of the Brazilian Social Democracy Party has joined in a chorus of opposition criticism of President Dilma Rousseff's decision to put off her state visit to the United States, originally scheduled for October 23. Even members of her governing coalition criticized the move.
BRASÍLIA:
The opposition reacted Tuesday to President DilmaRousseff's decision to postpone her state visit to the
United States next month, due to dissatisfaction with responses given by the U.S.
government on the espionage issue. For senators from the PSDB
[Brazilian Social Democracy Party] and the DEM [Democrats], the decision of the
Presidential Office took more account of an electoral marketing strategy than the
interests of the country.
"This
is once again an abdication of the real interests of Brazil for the purpose of
focusing on electoral marketing," said Senator AécioNeves (PSDB), according
to a party statement. "In our view, it would be much more appropriate for
the president to say this directly and objectively to the American president
and take advantage of this trip not only for confronting this issue, but to
defend the interests of our economy and even of certain Brazilian companies,"
Neves said, arguing that the government must invest
in defending our digital networks and information. "Likewise, it is
unacceptable that the Brazilian government hasn't even spent 10 percent of the
budget approved for cyber defense," he said.
In
the same vein, AloysioNunes
(PSDB) called the trip's postponement an act of "political
marketing."
"We
support a strong reaction from President Dilma in
repudiation of espionage. But, we think it was wrong to cancel the trip,
because she should seize on the opportunity to take the trip to tell the White
House that this spying is intolerable. In the context that the decision was taken,
it is clear that there was a conflation of diplomacy and political marketing.
This was done to mobilize feelings of patriotism in Brazil for electoral purposes,"
PSDB leader AloysioNunes said.
On
government side, the defense is that the president acted with respect toward
the country: "The president's decision took into account respect for
Brazil and Brazilians," declared the leader of the PT [Labor Party] in the
Senate, Wellington Dias.
For
Diaz, even the statement released by the Presidential Office made it clear that
the espionage has yet to be cleared up and that the U.S. government is unwilling
to demonstrate that this would be the last time it would occur.
The
Labor Party leader believes that Dilma's attitude elevates
the position of Brazil. However, Dias noted that relations between the two
countries depends on what happens going forward.
"It
depends on what happens from here on out."
Senator
Vanessa Grazziotin (PCdoB) [Communist
Party of Brazil] criticized the American espionage which, to her, is proof of
complete disrespect of one state by another, and she praised the president's postponement
of the trip.
"This
is the response we hoped for, but it is far from making up for all the
aggression Brazil has suffered. It is not a breaking of bilateral relations,
but a gesture.
Former
senator and governor Álvaro Dias (PSDB) agrees
with PSDB leader AloysioNunes. The senator believes that the president should go to
the United States and confront President Barack Obama personally to demand remedial;
measures be taken over the espionage against Brazil.
"This
is a marketing ploy that brings no benefit to the country - just to the
president eying the 2014 elections. Hiding your head so as not to see what's
happening around you brings no benefit. If the government believes this was improper
spying, it must confront it and demand convincing explanations," Álvaro Dias pointed out.
Democratic
Party leader Agripino Maia believes that the Brazilian
government should respond strongly to the United States to show its repudiation
of the episode. However, the senator believes that cancelling the trip could do
more harm than good to the country.
"Behind
the decision is clearly the advice from a political-electoral marketing team.
There is a good side and a bad side to the president's decision, because at the
same time, Brazil needs to issue a strong response to this prying," said Agripino.
Senator
Jarbas Vasconcelos (Brazilian Democratic Movement), who
despite belonging to a party in the government's coalition, maintains an
independent stance in the Senate, also criticized the decision.
"More
than a year from the election, which will be next year, the president wants to
take advantage of this episode, so people see that the courage she did not have
in confronting Bolivian President Morales, she does facing Obama in the United
States," the senator said.
[Editor's
Note: Senator Jarbas Vasconcelos refers to on ongoing dispute over Bolivia's
nationalization of two refineries belonging to Brazil oil giant Petrobras. The nationalization took place in 2007, and
negotiations to resolve the impasse recently broke down again].
Allied leaders
support president's decision
In
the House, allied leaders supported the president's decision, noting that this
is about the country's sovereignty. The opposition, however, even though it
wants to see those responsible for the theft of Brazilian data, Dilma should not adopt what they call an ideological stance
on this issue.
For
Democratic House leader RonaldoCaiado, the president
should have reacted in a more statesmanlike manner rather than in a "strictly
ideological" way, referring to her attitude in canceling her state visit
to the country.
"Brazil
should seek redress and penalties for those who committed the espionage, but it
is not up to the president to adopt strictly ideological behavior. The country
has already lived with situations like the one in Bolivia, when President Evo Morales pillaged Brazilian refineries and the
government did nothing."
Posted By
Worldmeets.US
Government
leader in the House ArlindoChinaglia, said he foresaw
the cancellation, since President Rouseff made her
dissatisfaction with the espionage public and demanded measures be taken in order
for the visit to happen:
"There
were claims of the greatest friendship (from President Barack Obama). But in
order not to put the country on a subordinate level, I agree with the
postponement. It demonstrates that Brazil will not accept this type of
attitude, that international meetings will be put to use, and that the
relationship between the countries has to be respected bilaterally," said Chinaglia.
Labor
Party leader José Guimarães called the president's
attitude "courageous," and said she is setting on track relations
between the two countries.
"It
was very important that the president take this courageous decision. No one
should fear the United States. We cannot be inhibited by just any cry. Obama's
telephone call resolved nothing. She temporarily suspended the visit, and in
the mean time, the dialogue between the two countries continues," Guimarães said.
House
PSDB leader Carlos Sampaio
called that postponement a lost opportunity.
"All
of us repudiate any type of espionage against Brazilian citizens, whether by
the authorities or not. The meeting would be a unique opportunity for President
Rouseff to tell Obama that Brazil repudiates and will
not tolerate espionage, to demand a detailed explanation and to hear him out.
This would be a way of reaffirming Brazil's position. But the opportunity is
lost," Sampaio said.
