Brazilian president asks NY Times to retract controversial article

Brazilian President Luis Inacio Lula da Silva said Thursday that he may revise the decision of canceling visa of The New York Times reporter Larry Rohter, if the US daily retracts the article posted last Sunday alleging he has adrinking problem.

At a meeting with Senate leaders, Lula explained that he was deeply offended by the article, and will wait for an answer from The New York Times before a possible revision.

Senator Joao Capiberibe of the Brazilian Socialist Party said, "The article even refers to the president's father, saying he was also an alcoholic." The lawmakers left convinced that Lula is right.

Capiberibe added that Rohter has many chances to obtain a habeas corpus from the Justice Superior Tribunal and stay in Brazil, because he married a Brazilian woman and has a daughter ofthe same nationality.

The senator also quoted Lula as saying that the article affectsthe country's economical interests.

The president's decision to cancel Rohter's visa was made Wednesday in response to the article. It met with criticism from Brazil's press and opposition, saying the sanction broke freedom of the press.

Brazilian dailies noted Wednesday that reporters had only been expelled from the country in the darkest period of the military regime that dominated the nation from 1964 to 1985.

Under the Brazilian law, a foreigner whose visa is canceled haseight days to leave the country. If he does not, he will be expelled.

Source: Xinhua