BRASILIA—Secretary of State John Kerry defended U.S. intelligence gathering techniques during a visit here amid tensions set off by recent disclosures of U.S. surveillance programs monitoring Internet traffic in Brazil and elsewhere in Latin America.
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U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry speaks Tuesday to government officials during a lunch in Brasilia. AP
The revelations, disclosed in documents leaked by former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden, have complicated relations between the U.S. and Brazil at a time when the U.S. is seeking to woo Brazil as a closer ally. Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff is set to travel to the U.S. in October to meet President Barack Obama for a high-profile state visit.
Speaking to reporters with Mr. Kerry, Brazil's Foreign Minister Antonio Patriota said the spying risked casting a "shadow of suspicions" over relations unless resolved. Brazil is preparing to send a team to the U.S. to learn more about the surveillance programs.
"We need to discontinue practices that threaten sovereignty," Mr. Patriota said, adding that the U.S. will have more allies in the fight against terrorist groups if its monitoring practices "are transparent."
Mr. Kerry, in Brazil at the end of a Latin American tour, said that U.S. intelligence gathering was legal and reflected the commitment by the U.S. to prevent terrorists plots, such as the attacks Sept. 11, 2001. U.S. intelligence "has helped protect Americans and other people, including Brazilians, all over the world," Mr. Kerry said.
Experts on Brazil-U.S. relations said they expected that the spying issue wouldn't have a lasting impact on relations between the two countries.
"Like the European complaints about spying, they will have a short shelf life," said Peter Hakim, president emeritus of the Washington-based Inter-American Dialogue think tank.
Though overshadowed by spying issues, the visit had lighter moments. During Mr. Kerry's meeting with U.S. embassy workers and families, one participant remarked upon meeting the former U.S. Senator: "You have so much hair. It's amazing."
"I know, I need a haircut," Mr. Kerry responded to laughter. "I got up this morning and I looked at myself and I said, "Oh my God, I got to get a haircut,"
Mr. Kerry also stopped in Colombia on Monday, where he voiced support for the country's efforts to negotiate a peace deal with the rebel group, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia.
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