{{Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff has called off plans for a state visit to Washington in October because of revelations that the United States spied on her personal communications and those of other Brazilians.}}
Rousseff’s decision, which came despite a 20-minute telephone call from President Barack Obama on Monday night in an attempt to salvage the trip, is a big blow to relations between the two biggest economies in the Americas.
Relations were hit after the National Security Agency snooped on emails, text messages and calls between the Brazilian president and her aides, as well as the Brazilian state oil giant Petrobras.
The revelations came from documents leaked by Edward Snowden, a US intelligence contractor, and prompted a political uproar in Brazil.
US officials said the spying was aimed at tracking suspected terrorist activity and did not pry into personal communications. Rousseff was not convinced, and said she would act to protect her country.
The trip was expected to be a platform for deals on oil exploration and biofuels technology, and Brazil’s potential $4bn purchase of 36 F-18 fighter jets from Boeing.
{The F-18 fighter jet}
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