Creative bipartisanship in Washington that ties the potential of a massive boom in ethanols influence throughout the Western Hemisphere

to ending United States oil addiction could also help ensure that nearly five decades of Cuban dictatorship will be followed by a transition towards democracy, a market economy and real independence, and not succession by Fidel Castro s brother !aul or another Communist figure" Martin Edwin Andersen Special to Offnews.info 06/04/2007 | Fidel Castros a r!pt "#t!rn in $is s!pport for et$anol% attac&in' plans ( t$e "nited States and )ra*il to pro+ote t$e prod!ction of a s!'arcane# ased f!el alternati,e in t$e -estern .e+isp$ere% s$ows t$e len't$ to w$ic$ t$e C! an dictator will 'o to protect $is /ene*!elan patron .!'o C$a,e*s oil l! ricated 'ra at 0atin A+erican $e'e+on(% e,en at t$e e1pense of f!t!re C! a independence. Castros newest clai+% t$at prod!ction on t$e island of et$anol fro+ s!'arcane## t$e cost#effecti,e +et$od% ( t$e wa(% s!ccessf!ll( !sed in )ra*il##was 22no +ore t$an a drea+ or a deliri!+%33 is not$in' if not t$e latest e1a+ple of $ow $is once spell indin' r$etoric is r!nnin' o!t of 'as. 4n fact% 5resident )!s$s new io#f!els pact wit$ )ra*il% 6oinin' t$e world3s two lar'est et$anol prod!cers in w$at co!ld eco+e a new alliance to s! stantiall( red!ce re'ional dependence on i+ported oil% points to ot$er et$anol#related polic( options t$e "nited States s$o!ld p!rs!e in t$e re'ion si+!ltaneo!sl(. 4f i+ple+ented% t$ese wo!ld i+pro,e t$e prospects for post#Fidel de+ocrac( and independence in C! a% red!ce f!t!re tensions etween C! ans and C! an A+ericans% and ease f!t!re relations etween t$e ".S. and so+e of its ot$er Cari ean allies. 7$e fra+ewor& for 6!st s!c$ a possi ilit( alread( e1ists in t$e plan la!nc$ed ( )!s$ and )ra*ilian 5resident 0!i* 4n8cio 0!la da Sil,a to pro+ote t$e prod!ction of s!'ar cane# ased et$anol in Central A+erican and t$e Cari ean% sellin' part of t$e io#f!el to t$e ".S. as part of a special Cari ean )asin trade re'i+e. )( pro+isin' to incl!de C! a in a partners$ip t$at allows s!'arcane# ased et$anol e9!al footin' in co+petition wit$ a $ea,il( s! sidi*ed corn# ased et$anol ind!str( in t$e "nited States t$at is ot$ +ore e1pensi,e and +ore en,iron+entall( ta1in'% Castros clai+ t$at t$e ".S. foc!s on et$anol% res!ltin' in t$e :internationali*ation of 'enocide; can e e1posed fro+ w$at it is<t$e deat$ rattle of a t(rant. * Real Cuban Independence. Creati,e ipartisans$ip in -as$in'ton t$at ties t$e potential of a +assi,e oo+ in et$anols infl!ence t$ro!'$o!t t$e $e+isp$ere to endin' "nited States oil addiction co!ld also $elp ens!re t$at nearl( fi,e decades of C! an dictators$ip will e followed ( a transition towards de+ocrac(% a +ar&et econo+( and real independence% and not s!ccession ( $is rot$er =a!l or anot$er Co++!nist fi'!re. Castros clai+ t$at $is re,ol!tion ro!'$t independence to C! a ( distancin' it fro+ t$e "nited States is elied ( t$e fact t$at a >? illion ann!al s! sid( fro+ t$e So,iet "nion d!rin' t$e Cold -ar $as een replaced ( a si+ilar dependenc( on /ene*!ela for w$ic$ t$e C! an people contin!e pa( a $i'$ price in li ert( denied. C! an and /ene*!elan leaders are now ti'$tenin' t$at dependenc(. Alread( /ene*!elas a!t$oritarian 5resident .!'o C$a,e* $as dipped into $is co!ntr(s tre+endo!s oil reser,es to p!t Castros ailin' r!le on econo+ic life s!pport wit$ t$e pro,ision of a reported @00%000 arrels of c$eap oil a da(. 0ast (ear% C$a,e* also pro+ised to $elp t$e C! ans co+pletel( reacti,ate its Cienf!e'os refiner( and to s!ppl( it wit$ 70%000 arrels per da( of !nrefined oil. Onl( a few wee&s a'o% efore Castros and C$a,e*s scare#+on'erin' in t$e wa&e of t$e )!s$#0!la initiati,e% wit$ t$e d(speptic d!o now clai+in' t$at et$anol is a t$reat to t$e poor% t$e li&e#+inded

despots in .a,ana and Caracas a'reed to t$eir own cooperati,e io#f!els pact<prod!cin' alco$ol fro+ t$at redo! ta le staple of t$e C! an econo+(As!'arcaneAand t$ere ( offerin' ot$ C! ans

and /ene*!elans t$e opport!nit( of replacin' so+e fossil f!els wit$ +ore en,iron+entall( friendl( io#f!els. )!t C$a,e*s offer of $elp wo!ld $a,e onl( increased C! an dependence on $is re'i+e< t$e @@ new et$anol plants planned !nder t$e cooperati,e pro'ra+ were to e located in /ene*!ela. Faced wit$ t$e c$oice of pro+otin' en,iron+entall( friendl( ener'( or +aintainin' a '!s$er of petrodollars<$e $eads t$e co!ntr( t$at ran&s fift$ in t$e world in t$e prod!ction of cr!de oil<t$at ena les $i+ to !( friends aro!nd t$e re'ion% C$a,e* predicta l( opted for t$e latter. S!ddenl( concerned wit$ t$e :et$icsB of et$anol prod!ction% t$e +an w$o once considered declarin' a national reli'ion wit$ $i+self as t$e leader% clai+ed t$at :w$en (o! fill a ,e$icles tan& wit$ et$anol% (o! are fillin' it wit$ ener'( for w$ic$ land and water eno!'$ to feed se,en people $a,e een !sed%B t$e io#f!el ein' !sed to fill :ric$ peoples cars.B 4t is clear t$at real independence for C! a will co+e onl( w$en it is a le 'reatl( red!ce its dependence on /ene*!ela and 'enerate ener'( reso!rces s!fficient to ot$ ta&e care of its own internal de+and and $a,e so+e left to sell o,erseas. )a'asse% t$e plant +atter left o,er after s!'ar $as een e1tracted fro+ s!'arcane% is an a !ndant nat!ral reso!rce C! ans can !se to +a&e et$anol and to f!el t$e islands own li eration. 7$e ".S. Con'ress is now de atin' w$et$er to enter into a new era of free trade wit$ o!r so!t$ern nei'$ ors ( eli+inatin' t$e protectionist arrier a'ainst )ra*ilian io#f!els in t$e for+ of a ?4# cent#per#'allon tariff on i+ported et$anol t$at $as een le,ied t$ro!'$ Can!ar( 200D. Alt$o!'$ t$ere is not +!c$ et$anol a,aila le (et for i+port% t$e tariff on s!'ar# ased et$anol 'i,es !nfair ad,anta'e to +ostl( Midwestern far+ prod!cers of a corn# ased ,ersion% wit$ far+#state law+a&ers 'earin' !p for t$e fi'$t to renew t$e le,(% and t$!s do+inance in t$e enor+o!s ".S. +ar&et% per$aps indefinitel(. 4n order to pro+ote C! as tr!e independence and de+ocrati*ation% t$e )!s$ Ad+inistration s$o!ld si'nal its willin'ness to i++ediatel( incl!de C! a as a preferred +e+ er of its $e+isp$eric io#f!els alliance% once t$e island si'nals it is on t$e road to de+ocratic refor+% incl!din' t$e respect for $!+an ri'$ts. )( re+o,in' t$e tariff on s!'ar ased et$anol and 'i,in' C! an#prod!ced et$anol potential e9!alit( of opport!nit( wit$ ".S. prod!cers of corn# ased et$anol<w$o now recei,e a federall(# s! sidi*ed ?@#cents a#'allon ta1 credit% Con'ress and t$e president wo!ld send a stron' +essa'e a o!t -as$in'tons willin'ness to do e,er(t$in' it can to pro+ote ot$ C! an de+ocrac( and independence. =at$er t$an dependin' on C$a,e*s refineries to +a&e C! an a'asse into !sea le f!el% access to ".S. +ar&ets will $elp 'i,e C! an entreprene!rs t$e incenti,e to !ild et$anol plants in C! a% addin' to t$at co!ntr(s re,en!es and e+plo(+ent ase. 4n addition% s!pport for 6oint ,ent!res ( ".S. a!to+a&ers wit$ )ra*il% w$ose a!to ind!str( is alread( prod!cin' :fle1i le f!elB cars t$at r!n on et$anol% co!ld $elp C! ans in a new de+ocrac( replace t$eir @D?0s#,inta'e fleet wit$ low#cost ,e$icles !sin' c!ttin' ed'e% en,iron+entall(# friendl( tec$nolo'(. * Untying a nasty legal tangle. 7$e ".S. s$o!ld +a&e clear t$at its s!pport for entr( ( C! a into t$e ad,anced '!ard of co!ntries de,elopin' io#f!el tec$nolo'(% sa,in' +one( and 'eneratin' wealt$ on t$e island% co!ld also $elp ot$ co!ntries p!t e$ind t$e+ t$e t$orn( iss!e of reparations for A+erican propert( e1propriated ( C! a in t$e @D60s. Eearl( 6%000 A+ericans lost >@.F illion in t$e nationali*ations% a fi'!re t$at $as 'rown wit$ inflation and interest to as +!c$ as >@G illion toda(. C! an sales of et$anol in t$e ".S. +ar&et can $elp pa( off t$at de t% wit$o!t forcin' lon'#ter+ C! an residents of A+erican properties to ,acate t$eir $o+es or 'i,e !p t$eir li,eli$oods.

H Preserving Caribbean Relations. -$en t$e ".S. e'an its e+ ar'o of C! a decades a'o% t$e ".S. +ar&et for i+ported C! an s!'ar was di,ided !p a+on' ot$er Cari ean nations. S$o!ld post#Castro C! a tr( to sell its s!'ar prod!ction to t$e "nited States% re'ainin' its $i'$ percenta'e of t$e lost +ar&et% ot$er Cari ean islands will feel t$e econo+ic pinc$. I4n fiscal (ear 07% for e1a+ple%

t$e Jo+inican =ep! lics raw cane s!'ar allocation to t$e ".S. was 22?%?7G +etric tons.K Lettin' C! a to de,ote its s!'arcane to et$anol wo!ld also eli+inate a f!t!re c$allen'e fro+ C! a to ot$er s!'ar prod!cin' islands of t$e Cari ean and ease ".S. relations in t$e re'ion. 7$!s t$e pro+otion of et$anol prod!ction in C! a $as +an( ad,anta'es. 4t is !nli&el( t$at t$e "nited States possesses all t$e far+land needed to prod!ce all t$e et$anol it co!ld !se and still pro,ide t$e corn needed for corn#deri,ed food prod!cts and ani+al feedstoc&. 4t will re9!ire enco!ra'in' alternati,e f!els fro+ o,erseas so!rces as well% partic!larl( t$ose co!ntries w$ose s!'ar# ased et$anol is a o!t 2? percent c$eaper to prod!ce t$an its corn# ased s! stit!te. -it$ $is recent trip to t$e re'ion% 5resident )!s$ too& an i+portant step in redee+in' $is pled'e to +a&e 0atin A+erican nei'$ ors priorit( partners in pro+otin' de+ocrac( and creatin' 'reater prosperit(. )( pro+otin' C! an de+ocrati*ation ( lin&in' it to t$e prospect of participatin' in a new deal in t$e $e+isp$ere for en,iron+entall( so!nd ener'( self#s!fficienc(% t$e "nited States can $elp its island nei'$ or p!t to rest its li,in' le'ac( of dependence and dictators$ip.

#artin $dwin %ndersen, a long&time human rights activist and news correspondent in 'atin %merica, is the editor of a United States %gency for (nternational )evelopment *US%()+ study on possible electoral transitions in Cuba"