Brown in Chile for last leg of tour

The Prime Minister is due to meet President Michelle Bachelet as he lays the groundwork for next week's crunch summit in London.

Mr Brown called for a 100 billion US dollar package to help revive international trade during Thursday's whistlestop visit to Brazil.

But his appeal was upstaged when his host, President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, launched an excoriating attack on the "white, blue eyed people" who had caused the economic crisis.

"This is a crisis that was caused by people, white with blue eyes. And before the crisis they looked as if they knew everything about economics," Mr da Silva told a joint press conference in Brasilia.

"Once again the great part of the poor in the world that were still not yet getting their share of development that was caused by globalisation, they were the first ones to suffer."

He went on: "Since I am not acquainted with any black bankers, I can only say that this part of humanity that is the major victim of the world crisis, these people should pay for the crisis? I cannot accept that."

Mr da Silva hit out at other countries for restricting immigration, stressed that Brazil's banking system had been well regulated and demanded a deal on the stalled Doha trade round.

Mr Brown, who appeared slightly flustered, glossed over the comments and declared he was more interested in finding solutions than saying exactly who was to blame.

Details of the 100 billion US dollar (£68bn) package to "revive trade around the world" being sought by Mr Brown are not yet clear, although he indicated that the money would come from private sources as well as governments.