They love Bush in Brazil

They welcomed him very... enthusiastically:

US President George W Bush has arrived in Brazil's largest city, Sao Paulo, as a massive march in protest at his visit turned violent.

At least 20 people were hurt in clashes between demonstrators and riot police.

The US president is due to meet Brazil's Luis Inacio Lula da Silva to sign an ethanol energy alliance.

[snip]

Many of the demonstrators are angry at the war in Iraq and the proposed ethanol deal, which they say is an attempt to control the country's production of the bio-fuel which powers eight out of 10 new cars in Brazil.

Together with Colombia, Brazil produces about 70% of the world's ethanol, a bio-fuel made from sugar cane or corn.

The proposed accord would make ethanol an internationally traded commodity and promote its production in Central America and the Caribbean.

But activists claim that sugar cane cultivation is water intensive and responsible for stripping the Amazon rainforest.

They also say that the ethanol production process is concentrated in the hands of a few powerful families or corporations.

As Mr Bush left Washington to begin his tour, hundreds of protesters occupied the Cevasa sugar and ethanol-processing plant in Sao Paulo state that was recently sold to a US company.

Update: Others say Bush's visit is to try and destroy the influence Hugo Chavez has:

According to a former Brazilian ambassador in Washington, Rubens Barbosa, the tour is a belated attempt by Mr Bush to regain ground lost to Mr Chavez as a result of the US administration's neglect of Latin America. According to a former Brazilian ambassador in Washington, Rubens Barbosa, the tour is a belated attempt by Mr Bush to regain ground lost to Mr Chavez as a result of the US administration's neglect of Latin America.

Bush got to speechify before he flew down:

My trip is an opportunity to remind the folks in our neighborhood that the United States has a robust policy toward empowering individuals to realize their full potential.

NTodd notes Godwin's law.

Update 3/9: Compare and contrast Clinton's visit to Bush's visit.