Biden believes Brazil and US can get back on good terms

The vice-president of the United States, Joe Biden, spoke to journalists Tuesday (June 17) as he reached Palácio do Planalto, the presidential palace, for a meeting with President Dilma Rousseff. Asked by journalists if he believes that the US relations with Brazil can be fully restored even after the allegations of US spying on several country leaders, he said “I am confident they can”.

This has been the first visit of the US vice-president in Brazil after the episode. Last year, Rousseff called off a state visit to the US in October after reports came out that the US was spying on communications data from Petrobras and herself.

Biden came to Brazil to watch the US play Ghana as part of the World Cup in Natal, Rio Grande do Norte, on Monday (16). The US won by 2-1. The US Embassy said he is heading for Colombia, the Dominican Republic, and Guatemala from Brazil.

The US vice-president announced in a note issued this afternoon (17) a US government program in cooperation with the Brazilian Truth Commission.

He sent to the Brazilian government today classified documents from the US concerning the military period (1964-1985). According to Biden, more tranquility is expected for the future if the past is better understood.

Translated by Mayra Borges and Fabrício Ferreira