Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva Monday, before departing for Venezuela to attend the First Latin American Energy Summit, that he hoped to address, together with this counterparts in the region, the "technical or scientific" grounds for the recent criticism against ethanol.
 
"Is till do not know what are the technical or scientific rationale behind these criticisms. I hope we have the chance to discuss this issue" during the summit.

Lula is scheduled to initial in eastern Anzoátegui state an agreement for construction of a joint petrochemical compound in Venezuela. Later Monday he is arriving in the Island of Margarita to attend the First Latin American Energy Summit, hosted by Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez' Government, AP reported.

Chávez and Cuban ruler Fidel Castro last month slashed out at plans to expand world production of ethanol -an alcohol used as fuel manufactured from sugar cane or corn. Chávez and Castro argued that such a plan could endanger food production worldwide.

Their rejection came on the wake of an agreement between Brazil and the United States last month in Sao Paolo to encourage use of ethanol in the hemisphere.