Ethanol Comes Between Chavez, Brazilian Leader
Posted on: Tuesday, 17 April 2007, 06:00 CDT
By Natalie Obiko Pearson
CARACAS, Venezuela -- A pointed disagreement over ethanol is creating friction between Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez and his Brazilian counterpart as they join leaders from across the region today for a South American energy summit.
The dispute -- framed by a U.S.-Brazil ethanol agreement and Chavez's staunch anti-U.S. politics -- appears likely to be a major point of debate at the summit, where Chavez will be seeking support for projects ranging from a regional bank to a natural gas group similar to the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries aimed at reducing Washington's influence in Latin America.
The U.S. and Brazil are the world's two biggest producers of ethanol -- an alcohol-based fuel made from crops such as sugar cane or corn. They signed an "alliance" last month to promote its production in the region and create international quality standards to allow it to be traded as a commodity like oil.
Chavez said last week that Venezuela was working on an alternative proposal to "overthrow" the U.S.-Brazil agreement, which he characterizes as an ethanol "cartel" that will monopolize arable lands and starve the poor -- criticisms shared by his Cuban ally, Fidel Castro.
"Bush's plan is impossible," Chavez said Sunday during his television and radio program.
Chavez has not said what he would do to undermine the plan, other than allude to his lobbying efforts against other U.S.-proposed trade agreements.
Leaders of Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay and Bolivia are attending the summit, where Chavez will likely push his favored energy proposals: a South American gas pipeline, an alliance modeled after OPEC to promote "a fair price" for natural gas, and a regional "Bank of the South" that could provide an alternative to Washington-backed lenders such as the International Monetary Fund and World Bank.
Despite Chavez's criticisms of promoting ethanol as a substitute for gasoline, Venezuela still plans to expand its own ethanol production for use as a fuel additive.
Source: Cincinnati Post
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