Biden in Brazil to See World Cup, Heal Strained Ties
Biden in Brazil to See World Cup, Heal Strained Ties
There has been a real effort by Washington to mend ties with Brazil and turn the page on the Snowden issue, points out COA's Eric Farnsworth.
(Reuters) - U.S. Vice President Joe Biden heads to Brazil on Monday, hoping to do more than just watch Team USA play Ghana in the World Cup.
Biden will also try to turn the page on chilly U.S. relations with President Dilma Rousseff, who was outraged by revelations last year that the National Security Agency spied on her and other Brazilian officials.
Rousseff, who canceled a state visit to Washington in response, recently indicated she was ready to move on from the spat. That could unlock faster progress on trade, offshore oil development and other long-elusive cooperation between the two biggest economies in the Americas....
"There has been a real effort by Washington to say: 'Look, we know the Snowden issue has been a complicated one, but our interests together are too deep to let this fundamentally change anything," said Eric Farnsworth, vice president of the Americas Society, which promotes regional ties....
