Calling on Brazil, Peru, Chile, and Mexico to break ties with Pyongyang, Pence says ‘all options’ are on table with regards to Asian state
U. S. Vice President Mike Pence urged Brazil, Peru, Chile, and Mexico to break ties with North Korea on Wednesday, adding that « all options » are on the table with regards to the Asian state.
« The U. S. places great importance on the ongoing diplomatic isolation of the Kim regime and we strongly urge Chile today, and we urge Brazil, Mexico, and Peru to break all diplomatic and commercial ties to North Korea, » Pence said during a visit to Chile in a joint press conference with Chile’s President Michelle Bachelet.
U. S. President Donald Trump warned North Korea last week it would face « fire and fury » if it threatened the United States, prompting North Korea to say it was considering plans to fire missiles towards the Pacific island of Guam. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un later delayed the decision to fire the missiles, a move Trump praised earlier on Wednesday.
Trade between Latin American countries and North Korea is not significant.
Brazil, the region’s largest economy, had just $2.1 million worth of exports – mainly coffee, meat, tobacco and leather – and $8.7 million of imports with North Korea in 2016, according to government figures. North Korea has an embassy in Brasilia, and Brazil opened an embassy in Pyongyang in 2009.
« Brazil follows the decisions of multilateral organizations, » a spokesman for the Foreign Ministry said when asked if Brasilia would break off trade and diplomatic ties.
