WASHINGTON, June 30 : President Barack Obama and Brazil's Dilma Rousseff paid a surprise joint visit on Monday to Washington's Martin Luther King Memorial, part of efforts to mend fences after a spying row.
Obama hosted the Brazilian president at the memorial to the civil rights icon -- one of his personal heroes --  after a "turbulent patch" between the two countries caused by revelations that US spies had listened in on Rousseff's phone calls.
The White House said the visit "underscores the many shared values and strong bonds that exist between the American and Brazilian peoples".
Both countries have large minorities descended from West African slaves and continue to have problems resulting from racial inequality. Later, Obama welcomed Rousseff at a small dinner at the White House with about 20 guests.    ?AFP