Why the NSA spies on Brazil by Mary Anastasia O’Grady Some of the world’s least free countries such as Cuba, Iran and Venezuela, are your allies. European leaders put the outcry when it emerged that the National Security Agency of the United States (NSA, for its acronym in English) had been spying on the continent and in its own activities. They claimed to be shocked, though it has since become clear that, for the most part, the reaction was pure theater. However, nowhere in this feigned indignation against the NSA has been more false than in the case of Brazil, which has also been the target of U.S. intelligence. President Dilma Rousseff has said that it is a violation of human rights and proposes that the United Nations take «a leadership role» in regulating the Internet. Do not laugh. European countries can, at least, to argue that U.S. allies However, the best friends in Brazil during the administration of the Workers Party of Rousseff and her predecessor, Lula da Silva, are Cuba, Iran and Venezuela. If U.S. spies not paying attention to Brazil, then you are not paying attention. The rhetoric emanating from Europe toned down last week. Old World leaders began to seek cooperation from U.S. to find a way to restore «confidence» among allies. Was it due to the revelation that other countries that are part of the Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) had gathered some information held by the NSA? Or was it perhaps because, as stated by the former head of the French intelligence services Bernard Squarcini in an interview with Le Figaro, «French intelligence services are well aware that all countries, whether or not allies in the fight against terrorism, spy on each other all the time «? Former German Chancellor Helmut Schmidt corroborated such claims by pointing out that during his eight years in power always assumed that his phone was tapped. German Chancellor Angela Merkel, you need to cover their backs on their country and the U.S. should do everything in their power to help. But no one who believes that if the U.S. decreased intelligence operations, neither Merkel nor any other head of state or government could feel secure about the privacy of their communications. All European countries will probably continue spying as we have done since I can remember. In addition, the Cuban espionage, Russian, Chinese, Iranian and Venezuelan continue rampant, giving their governments the ability to take advantage of this information. Which brings us back to Brazil. It is no coincidence that some of the world’s least free countries are among the main partners in foreign policy of President Dilma Rousseff. In a column published in September in the Miami Herald entitled «Why America Spy on Brazil,» Cuba-born writer Carlos Alberto Montaner transcribed a conversation with a U.S. ambassador whose name was not released. «Friends of Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and Dilma Rousseff of the Workers Party are the enemies of the United States: Venezuela Chavez, first with Chavez and Maduro now, Raul Castro’s Cuba, Iran, the Bolivia of Evo Morales. Libya Gaddafi era, the Syria of Bashar al-Assad «. The diplomat stressed that «in almost every conflict, the government of Brazil agrees with the policy of Russia and China face the prospect of the Department of State (U.S.) and the White House.» Brazil’s relationship with Cuba particular cause concern. Instead of showing solidarity with the victims of oppression in Cuba, said the ambassador, «the former president Lula da Silva often leads investors to the island to strengthen the Castro dictatorship. Estimated one billion dollars in the figure buried Brazilians in the development of super-port of Mariel, near Havana. » Support for Cuba, whose worship of totalitarianism wherever you are in the world remains unwavering, leaves Brazil on the wrong side of geopolitics. Panama in July intercepted a ship from North Korea came out of Cuba into Asia. The ship was carrying weapons that had not been declared, fuel and two MiG-21 fighters. Cuba defended himself saying that it was old military equipment needing repairs. On October 10, however, the McClatchy newspaper company reported that Panamanian officials said the planes were in good condition and that «had flown recently and were accompanied by two jet engines ‘brand new.'» U.S. Spying is, therefore, logical, although not difficult to see the reasons Rousseff wants to increase the ratio of anger. Under the tutelage of his party, which has ruled since 2002, the country has gone from being a rising star to an economy whose best time is behind us. Brazil is growing at an anemic rate for a developing country that needs to lift people out of poverty. John Welch, Macro Strategy CIBC analyst, said last week that the warnings of credit rating agencies about imminent cuts to the classification of Brazilian debt are based on the deterioration of fiscal accounts and increased debt and inflation . The Brazilians are dissatisfied, but Rousseff’s economic team seems to be ill-equipped to improve economic policy. The leaking of the NSA is, therefore, useful. Having missed the opportunity to become a major economic player in international markets in the near future, the Brazilian government behaves as if its global relevance depended on raising the country’s reputation as one of the bad boys of South America. Sounds like a plan of the Workers’ Party and a good reason for the NSA still on alert. Mary Anastasia O’Grady The Wall Street Journal
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