Monday 16th

Following eight months of heavy campaigning and lobbying, Venezuela is to know if its intense efforts were enough to beat Guatemala and gain a seat as a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council for 2007-2008.

The 192 member countries of the General Assembly are to choose between two options drastically opposed.

Guatemala claims it is "a serious independent candidate" with a wide experience in peace processes. Venezuela ensures that it will be the "voice of the third world" and will strongly oppose "the US pretensions to put an end to the world and disregard the sovereignty of the nations."

Chile substantiates abstention in UN voting, asks for a single candidate
Chile opted to abstain from voting in the process to decide on Venezuela or Guatemala as the new temporary member in the United Nations (UN) Security Council. The decision was made in order not to widen up the gap in Latin America, Chilean Foreign Minister Alejandro Foxley clarified Monday.

The Chilean Government asked both Venezuela and Guatemala to reach an agreement in order to have a single candidate for the UN Security Council.

Venezuelan ambassador to the United Nations Francisco Arias Cárdenas Monday, following the first vote, denied the possibility to withdraw Venezuela's bid to occupy a non-permanent seat at the Security Council.

According to Arias Cárdenas, Washington is putting pressure on "small countries." He accused the US of "making display of a rude and obscene prepotency." The diplomat clarified that this is not a competition with Guatemala. "What we are witnessing is a competition between a country of the south that is rising and the first power in the world (the US)."

The vote to continue on Tuesday
In the tenth round that closed Monday the dispute between Venezuela and Guatemala, these nations got 77 and 100 votes, respectively. None of them have managed to get 125 votes, or two thirds, required at the National Assembly.

Venezuela continued falling down in the eight round of the race for a seat at the UN Security Council. Guatemala beat Venezuela with 102 versus 85 votes.

During the seventh round, Venezuela suffered a backlash of 89 votes. Previously, during the sixth round, Venezuela had gained 93 votes and tied with Guatemala.

Venezuela got 83 votes in the fifth round, its best result, as compared to 103 votes for Guatemala, its lowest result. In the fifth voting, a third candidate to replace Argentina at the Security Council emerged -Mexico. However, this country won one vote only, Efe released.

In the fourth round, the trend recorded so far was reversed and Venezuela recovered five votes. For its part, Guatemala lost six votes, AFP quoted. There were six abstentions.

Guatemala beat Venezuela 109-76, 114-74 and 116-70 in the first three rounds.

Rosales: Venezuela's defeat at the UN is a shame for Chávez' policy
Opposition presidential candidate Manuel Rosales Monday, following publication of the results of the first four rounds of votes at the General Assembly of the United Nations to select the new Latin American and Caribbean non-permanent member of the Security Council, said that Venezuela's defeat to Guatemala is a shame for the Castro-Cuban policy President Hugo Chávez has embraced and implemented.

He urged Chávez to find an intermediate solution "to avoid Venezuelan from being derided any more."

Venezuela's participation at the UN Security Council during the election of a Latin American representative has been "most worthy," showing a sound foreign policy against the empire, Vice-president José Vicente Rangel said.

Tuesday 17th

The competition was branded as a fight between Caracas and Washington. Both governments used their heavy artillery in a tough battle that Venezuela started four months ago. The vote Monday was as hard fought as expected.

Many suggested that Venezuela's backlash following a tie was the result of the United States putting pressure both at the UN hallways and capital cities worldwide.

Chilean President Michelle Bachelet Tuesday declared that Latin America needs to elect to the Security Council of the United Nations a country that enjoys "wide support," and she explained why Chile refrained from voting Guatemala or Venezuela, the two nations running for such a position.

The Government of Chile chose to abstain because the region could not attain an agreement to designate one single candidate. "Far from taking an easy stance, we made a decision that is always hard to make. It is easier to see things in black and white. However, neither life nor politics or history are that way," Bachelet declared, as quoted by Efe.

Venezuela ready for consensual candidate if Washington stops pressures
Venezuelan ambassador to the United Nations Francisco Arias Cárdenas Tuesday said his country is ready to accept a consensus candidate, only if the United States stops exercising pressures on the members of the General Assembly.

Arias Cárdenas showed satisfaction at the results obtained, and said the countries endorsing Venezuela bid have not been intimidated by US pressures, Efe reported.

Argentina, Bolivia uphold support to Venezuela
Foreign Ministers of Argentina and Bolivia stressed again that they are to back Venezuela as a representative of Latin American at the United Nations (UN) Security Council.

After 18 rounds of voting, the 192 UN member countries remained divided between Venezuela and Guatemala, the two official candidates. It is still unknown which will be the country that will succeed Argentina ending this year as a temporary member at the UN Security Council, Efe reported.

Adjourned until Thursday election at the UN Security Council
The President of the 61st Session of the United Nations General Assembly adjourned until Thursday the election of the country of the Latin American and Caribbean region that is to occupy a non-permanent seat at the Security Council in 2007-2008, so that Guatemala and Venezuela hold consultations after more than twenty unsuccessful rounds of votes, reported AFP.

In the twenty-second round of votes, Guatemala gathered 102 votes and Venezuela 77.

Wednesday 18th

Latin American intend to loosen elections at UN Security Council
Member states of the United Nations Latin American and Caribbean Group (Grulac) will hold Wednesday an informal meeting. The nations will make an effort to break the stalemate caused by the competition between Guatemala and Venezuela.
In the face of Venezuela's stubborn stance and Guatemala's insistence on pursuing the votes needed to win a temporary seat at the UN Security Council, the Latin American and Caribbean Group (Grulac) failed Wednesday to nominate a consensus candidate.

Venezuela attended the informal meeting convened by the group with the express attempt at "stopping US blackmail and imposition," as argued by Venezuelan ambassador to UN Francisco Arias Cárdenas, AP quoted.

Guatemala was the winner of 21 out of 22 rounds of voting held at the UN General Assembly on Monday and Tuesday. The Central American country remained steadfast in its attempt for a seat that has never occupied before. However, it showed willingness to accept ultimately a consensus candidate in the absence of an agreement.

Thursday 19th

The United Nations (UN) General Assembly resumed Thursday the election to decide between Guatemala and Venezuela as a non-permanent member of the Security Council following 22 unsuccessful rounds of voting and a one-day break for diplomatic contacts.

Venezuela hails moral victory over the United States at UN
US failure to impose its candidate Guatemala as a temporary member at the United Nations (UN) Security Council is a moral victory, according to a Venezuelan notice published Thursday in an Argentinean newspaper, AFP quoted.
 
The notice entitled "The Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela keeps ready to occupy a position at the UN Security Council" bears the Venezuelan coat of arms and acclaims the "dignity of the peoples of Latin America, the Caribbean, Africa, Asia and the Arab nations."

The Mexican Government recommended Thursday Venezuela to quit the competition "for political responsibility," Efe reported. According to Mexican official sources, the Venezuelan withdrawal would be "an elegant token for a fellow country," that is, Guatemala, the other candidate to become a Latin American representative at the Security Council for the next two years, replacing Argentina.

Venezuelan ambassador to UN Francisco Arias Cárdenas said that the UN General Assembly is showing that it is not ready to lose its role, said . Further, the official labeled as a victory the alleged US failure to impose its veto on the election for a non-permanent position at the UN Security Council.

Arias Cárdenas thinks that neither Venezuela nor Guatemala should leave the competition. In his view, Venezuela's stay in the voting is a lesson of "dignity, steadiness and wisdom" in a context free from violence and aggression.

Guatemala is ready to withdraw
Guatemala is ready to withdraw from the competition for a seat in the UN Security Council and favor a consensus candidate if the stalemate with Venezuela continues, Guatemala's Foreign Minister Gert Rosenthal said as quoted by Efe.

"We will continue fighting. Only when we become absolutely convinced that it is impossible to go on, we will try to meet the representatives of our region and look for another candidate," the diplomat said.

However, the possibility to withdraw is not welcomed by Guatemala. "Being so close to the two thirds of votes, and after making a huge effort, it is not pleasant to see another country ripping the fruits of our campaign. But we are not stubborn either. We are interested in the regional unity."

The election is adjourned until Wednesday 25th
"The election is adjourned until next Wednesday," the president of the United Nation General Assembly announced. The 192 member states gathered for the third time to elect the Latin American country to occupy a seat as a non-permanent member of the United Nation Security Council.

Once again, neither Guatemala nor Venezuela reached the number of votes required. The 35th round of voting ended with 103 votes for Guatemala and 81 for Venezuela.

The break is aimed at celebrating consultations to find a solution to the stalemate. Weariness is apparent in the UN, with many journalists wondering if Venezuela attempts to stretch the vote until next December 3rd -day of presidential elections in the country.