Latin Americans fail to reach deal in UN race

UNITED NATIONS, Oct 25: Latin American nations sought a compromise candidate today to break the deadlock between Venezuela and Guatemala for a UN Security Council seat, but no agreement was reached.

Envoys from the two nations met with Ecuador's UN Ambassador Diego Cordovez, this month's chairman of the 35-nation Latin American and Caribbean group, after which the full regional bloc will meet, diplomats said.

''There's no deal,'' said Argentina's U.N. Ambassador Cesar Mayoral after the meeting. This meant, he said, that voting would resume on Wednesday afternoon, despite objections from many nations at the repetitive balloting that produced no clear winner.

At issue is an open Latin American seat on the 15-nation Security Council. Guatemala is backed by the Bush administration, and Venezuela sees the race as a battle against Washington and its UN ambassador, John Bolton.

After three days and 35 rounds of balloting last week, Guatemala still led Venezuela by a margin of more than 20 votes but less than the two-thirds required in the 192-member UN General Assembly.

Both Venezuela and Guatemala have said they would consider withdrawing if an alternative candidate was found. Venezuela prefers its ally Bolivia but Guatemala's Foreign Minister Gert Rosenthal made clear on Sunday that Bolivia was not a suitable alternative.

The real problem is no one can agree on a substitute candidate, Mayoral said. Latin American states have talked of Uruguay, Paraguay, Costa Rica or the Dominican Republic for the Security Council position.

Bolivian President Evo Morales said on Tuesday that his ally, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, had decided to pull out in favor of his country to compete for one of two Latin American seats on the 15-member council next year.

NO DROPOUTS

But today, Venezuelan Foreign Minister Nicholas Maduro told state television, ''We are maintaining our candidacy, our spirit and the inspiration behind Venezuela's bid. What the president of Bolivia, Evo Morales, said yesterday, speaking on behalf of Bolivia, is on the negotiating table, and we think that is one option.'' Guatemala also confirmed its continued candidacy and in an opinion piece in the International Herald Tribune, Rosenthal wrote, ''As the leading contender, Guatemala cannot be expected to withdraw unilaterally.'' ''Moreover, to date, there is no other country from the Latin American and Caribbean region on which all of our neighbors seem to agree,'' he said.

Chavez has portrayed the contest as a competition between Caracas and the United States because of open US lobbying for Guatemala.

If Bolivia were to win the seat, Chavez likely would claim it as a moral victory. He has said Venezuela delivered a blow to the United States by blocking its candidate for the seat.

Although Venezuela is a major oil supplier to the United States, relations have deteriorated under Chavez, who describes Washington as his No. 1 enemy and called US President George W Bush ''the devil'' in a General Assembly speech in September.

Diplomats have said those comments cost Venezuela votes while Guatemala might have been successful if it were not linked so closely to the United States.

The United States, Russia, Britain, France and China hold permanent seats on the Security Council. Ten other nations rotate for two-year terms with five elected each year.

Guatemala and Venezuela are vying for the Latin American seat that Argentina will vacate on December 31. Peru stays on the council until the end of 2007.

Reuters