Obama set for Rio speech as part of key Brazil trip Skip to main content

Obama set for Rio speech as part of key Brazil trip

Children in Rio shanty town City of God line to wait for President Barack Obama Residents in the City of God shantytown get ready for their high-profile visitor

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US President Barack Obama is set to deliver a speech in Rio de Janeiro, hailing the shared values of Brazil and the US.
Mr Obama, on a five-day trip to Latin America, is also due to visit the city's Christ statue and a shantytown.
The US president has already held talks with his Brazilian counterpart, Dilma Rousseff, focusing on trade.
Mr Obama, whose visit is being partly overshadowed by events in Libya, is to travel on to Chile and El Salvador.
Mr Obama arrived in Rio de Janeiro after a day of talks in the capital, Brasilia, with Ms Rousseff and business leaders.
In a joint news conference, he and Ms Rousseff emphasised Brazil's growing economic power and the opportunities to work more closely together.
However, there was no direct US endorsement of Brazil's bid to become a permanent member of the UN Security Council, a move that left Ms Rousseff clearly frustrated at the lack of stronger support.
Christ the redeemer statue in Rio de Janeiro Mr Obama is set to visit the city's famous Christ the Redeemer statue
Ahead of Mr Obama's arrival in Rio, authorities stepped up security and closed a number of streets in preparation.
The president is due to visit the famed Christ the Redeemer hilltop statue. However, the visit was rescheduled from morning to evening.
This was to allow Mr Obama time to be briefed on the situation in Libya, where US, UK and French aircraft have been carrying out strikes against the forces of Libyan leader Col Muammar Gaddafi.
Mr Obama's itinerary in Rio is also due to take him to the City of God (Cidade de Deus) favela, one of several hundred shantytowns that dot Rio's hills.
'Most beautiful city' The shantytown is one of several "pacified" under a programme to reduce violence in the city, which is set to be in the international limelight with the World Cup in 2014 and the Olympic Games two years later.
The programme involves the deployment of a permanent police presence, known as the Police Pacification Units (UPP), that aim to drive out the drug traffickers who control the slums.
Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff (left) and US President Barack Obama (right) Both countries are hoping this visit signals the start of improved ties
Mr Obama's speech in Rio will describe to Brazilians the values the two countries share, White House officials indicated.
Crowds gathered in Copacabana to greet Mr Obama as his motorcade arrived at his beach front hotel on Saturday night.
"Welcome to the most beautiful city in the world, Obama. You're the man," read a sign held up by Rio resident Carlos Henrique do Nascimento.
Brazil is the eighth largest importer of US goods, and the amount it buys from the US is growing rapidly, White House aides say.
In Chile, Mr Obama will make a speech laying out goals on energy co-operation, security, economic growth and development, and democracy and human rights, White House aides said.
El Salvador is home to one of America's largest Hispanic populations. But its murder rate has been climbing, as have cocaine seizures in the country and what is perceived by some as growing insecurity is concerning US officials.
Mr Obama will have talks with left-wing El Salvadoran President Mauricio Funes.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-12799180
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