Bush embarks on ethanol diplomacy to rebuff Chavez

By Todd Benson

SAO PAULO (Reuters) - President Bush visits Latin America this week to try to improve his reputation and influence in a region where anti-American voices like Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez are on the rise.

Bush is expected to cozy up to moderate leftists like Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, hoping to woo him with a much-touted plan to cooperate on the production of biofuels like ethanol.

"This is basically an effort to show that the U.S. remains relevant in the region," said Peter Hakim, president of the Inter-American Dialogue, a think tank in Washington.

"It's a trip to demonstrate that it retains good relationships, particularly with Brazil and Mexico, that it's committed to Colombia, and that it's not worried about left-wing governments."

Bush will kick off his tour on Friday in Brazil. He will then travel to Uruguay, Colombia, Guatemala and Mexico on the six-day trip, his longest ever to the region.

Chavez, the fiery Venezuelan president who is challenging U.S. influence in Latin America, plans to protest Bush's presence in the region by leading a rally in Argentina on Friday when his nemesis will be in neighboring Uruguay.

It is no coincidence that Bush's tour starts in Brazil, a heavyweight with the clout to contain Chavez. Though Bush and Lula come from opposing sides of the left-right divide, they are folksy leaders with a good rapport.

Other important stops will be Colombia and Mexico, two close U.S. allies. In Bogota, Bush is expected to reaffirm his support for President Alvaro Uribe, who is fighting a decades-old insurgency and is a partner in the war on drugs.