During a more than hour-long meeting between US and Brazilian leaders, Blinken made it clear he disagreed with the remarks, a senior State Department official told reporters.
The official added that they “had a frank exchange of views” during a meeting at the Brazilian presidential palace.
Brazil’s leader said on Sunday that the conflict in the Gaza Strip “is not a war, but a genocide”, comparing it to the period “when (Adolf) Hitler decided to kill the Jews”.
Israel reacted strongly to these statements and declared LI Lula da Silva “persona non grata“.
According to the official, the meeting also discussed “whether there is room for diplomacy” on the war in Ukraine, another issue on which the Brazilian president is often at odds with the United States.
“At the moment we don’t see the conditions (for diplomacy),” he said.
In addition, LI Lula da Silva and A. Blinken discussed the humanitarian crisis in Haiti and Venezuela, which is involved in a territorial dispute with neighboring Guyana over the oil-rich Essequibo region.
The official said that A. Blinken thanked Brazil for “efforts to reduce tensions between Venezuela and Guyana.”
LI Lula da Silva wrote on the “X” social network that he and A. Blinken discussed not only the wars in the Gaza Strip and Ukraine, but also the US-Brazil initiative on aid to workers, environmental protection and the transition to clean energy.
He posted a photo of the two leaders smiling and shaking hands.
Leaving the presidential palace, A. Blinken briefly commented to reporters that it was a “very, very good meeting”.
This is Blinken’s first trip to Brazil since he took over as secretary of state three years ago.
US relations with Latin America’s largest economy soured when LI Lula da Silva returned to power in January 2023, replacing former President Donald Trump’s ally Jair Bolsonaro.
A month following taking office, LI Lula da Silva visited Washington and met with US President Joe Biden.
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2024-05-01 01:07:37
