THE ALIGNMENT OF FORCES IN THE ETHANOL WAR

For Brazil, the development of its ethanol production and exports represents the possibility of becoming the world\'s new energy power in the most promising fuel; the consumer that expects to benefit from the global development of ethanol is the US, writes Alberto Garrido, a journalist and professor of the theory and history of the labour movement at the University of the Andes. In this analysis, Garrido writes that the US-Brazil strategic alliance, finalised in the Camp David agreement signed by Bush and Lula on March 31, is in line with the strategic interests of both states, which have proposed to march together to create the \'\'Ethanol Age\'\' and stimulate and control production of the fuel on a global scale. Bush\'s hope is to create, together with Brazil, an ethanol OPEC capable of competing with the oil OPEC and the future gas OPEC that Russia is pushing for. Brazil, the king of cheap ethanol, stands to benefit the most from the biofuel boom. Brazil will project itself as a world player, with ethanol as its geopolitical, economic, and energy weapon. But it will only be able to do this hand-in-hand with the United States, the great consumer. The political potentiality of the strategic Brazil-US axis will influence Brazil\'s foreign policy more and more.