Bush Touts Ethanol, Biofuels in Latin America Visit

President Bush launched a partnership with Brazil on Friday to boost the use of ethanol and other biofuels, news services reported.Bush and Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva agreed to share technology to develop alternative fuels and reduce reliance on oil imports from Venezuela, which is led by Bush administration critic President Hugo Chavez, Bloomberg reported.At a fuel depot for tanker trucks, Bush heralded a new ethanol agreement with Brazil as way to boost alternative fuels production across the Americas, the Associated Press reported.In Sao Paulo, Brazil, Bush concentrated on biofuels, saying that the two countries, which are the world’s biggest ethanol producers, could build a global market for it, AP said.The administration argues that increasing the use of alternative energy can help the United States reduce its dependence on oil imported from such nations as Iran and Venezuela, the Miami Herald reported.In his State of the Union address in January, the president called for reducing the use of fossil fuels by 20% within a decade.