Obama tries to keep his Latin visit in focus

BRASILIA, Brazil - As American missiles struck Libya, President Obama doggedly promoted his Latin American agenda Saturday, praising Brazil as a soaring economic force and brimming market for trade. Back home, his message was all but lost in the roar over the Libyan conflict.

"The United States doesn't simply recognize Brazil's rise; we support it enthusiastically," Obama said from this capital city as he launched a five-day outreach mission that also will take him to Chile and El Salvador. He began in Brazil as a sign of solidarity between the two largest democracies and economies in the Americas, and he sought to break through here with his themes of bold cooperation on energy, education, and trade.

Yet the looming military action in Libya intruded throughout Obama's day of pleasantries and policy. Aides said the president was a fully engaged participant as events unfolded, huddling with his national security adviser, Tom Donilon; calling Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan of the United Arab Emirates, a vocal supporter of the no-fly zone resolution; and consulting with top national security staff, including Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, throughout the afternoon.

However, the cancellation of a planned news conference with Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff - which the White House said was Brazil's call - limited Obama's comments on the matter for much of the day. By late afternoon, Obama hastily added a statement on Libya to announce that the United States had begun military operations with its partners.

Obama's mission in Latin America is to bolster the kind of economic relationships that can add jobs for the struggling unemployed back home while also proving the United States is engaged with neighbors whose support is needed in fighting terrorism, drugs, and climate woes.

Brazil stands out for its strategic and economic importance to the United States. As the world's seventh-largest economy, it is a member of an exclusive club of influential developing nations, and Obama sought to elevate its stature alongside India and China.

"As the United States looks to Brazil, we see the chance to sell more goods and services to a rapidly growing market of around 200 million consumers," Obama said to a meeting of corporate leaders, mindful to connect his travels to the concerns of voters back home. "For us, this is a jobs strategy."

Rousseff extended a warm welcome to Obama, citing his role as the first African American president and hers as the first female Brazilian president as evidence of nations overcoming barriers. She said that of all U.S. presidents who had visited Brazil, "you are the one that sees our country in the most vibrant moment."

Still, Rousseff made no effort to hide her frustration with the resistance Brazil has faced in becoming a permanent member of the U.N. Security Council and appealed for Obama's help in making changes at the United Nations.