SÃO PAULO, Brazil — Former President Barack Obama on Thursday told business leaders in Brazil that he regretted not having been able to do more to remedy the deeply polarized politics of the United States while he was in office.

Mr. Obama did not mention his successor’s name and steered clear of discussing the turbulence afflicting President Trump’s administration. The former president also did not bring up the Trump administration’s efforts to reverse the reconciliation he negotiated with Cuba in 2014, a signature policy initiative that was hailed across Latin America.

“My biggest regret is not being able to bridge the differences that were emerging in our politics as much as I wanted,” Mr. Obama told an audience of about 1,000 people who paid $1,500 to $2,400 to hear him speak.

Mr. Obama has given at least 10 paid speeches since leaving office, charging as much as $400,000 per appearance. He has addressed audiences in Montreal, Italy and Indonesia in recent months. A spokesman declined to say how much he was paid for this speech.