Venezuela-Guatemala stalemate persists at UN

UNITED NATIONS, Oct 31 (Reuters) The stalemate between Guatemala and Venezuela persisted today when voting resumed in the battle for an open Latin American seat on the prestigious UN Security Council.

Guatemala led Venezuela by between 25 and 30 votes in five days of balloting that began on October 16, but was unable to muster the required two-thirds majority in the 192-member UN General Assembly needed to secure the seat.

Venezuela sees its candidacy as a struggle against the United States, which is backing Guatemala.

Chile's UN ambassador, Heraldo Munoz, hopes some decision will be made this week. The foreign ministers of Guatemala and Venezuela may come to New York again tomorrow, he said.

''This opens up hope that we may arrive at a consensus,'' Munoz said. ''The votes are consolidated. They are frozen, shifts are minimal.'' ''So we have to think of a political alternative,'' Munoz said.

Another candidate could only be decided by the two contenders and then approved by the 35-member Latin American and Caribbean group at the United Nations.

The Dominican Republic, which has received some backing from Venezuela as well as the United States, is one alternative mentioned along with Uruguay, Ecuador and Costa Rica, diplomats said. But no decision was made at a meeting of the 35 nations yesterday.

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has called the contest a campaign against U.S. dominance over developing nations.

Although Venezuela is a major oil supplier to the United States, ties have deteriorated, particularly since Chavez described Washington as his No 1 enemy and called President Bush ''the devil'' in a General Assembly speech in September. Diplomats said that had cost him votes.

The United States, Russia, Britain, France and China hold permanent seats on the Security Council, the most powerful UN body.

Ten other nations sit on the council for two-year terms, 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 along with the Congo Republic, Ghana, Qatar and Slovakia.

In other regions, South Africa, Indonesia, Italy and Belgium received the necessary votes on October 16 to win two-year terms in the council. They replace Tanzania, Japan, Denmark and Greece.

REUTERS PDM BD0024