Thursday, October 12, 2006

by Bill Varner

UNITED NATIONS, (Bloomberg): Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, who last month called President George W. Bush the "devil" in a United Nations speech, is facing determined opposition from the US over his bid for a regular platform at the world body.

Venezuela is pushing for a seat on the Security Council for the next two years, arguing that its independent voice is needed on the UN's principal policy-making panel. The U.S. is lobbying for Guatemala to get the spot that will go to a Latin American nation in an October 16 vote of the General Assembly.

"They are playing hardball," said Mexican Ambassador Enrique Berruga, whose government backs Guatemala. "Having the Americans support your candidacy is a double-edged sword. But Chavez delivered a polarizing speech, and many believe it would not be a good idea to have them on the Security Council."

For the US, North Korea's claim that it exploded a nuclear device points up the risk in seeing a hostile Chavez represented on the council. Members get the chance to chair committees that monitor UN sanctions, as well as a venue to air their views.

The Security Council is also likely to vote on issues ranging from imposing economic penalties on Iran to sending peacekeepers to Sudan's war-ravaged Darfur region.

"The non-permanent members become a leader in their region," said Edward Luck, a former UN consultant who runs the Center on International Organization at Columbia University in New York. "It is a platform for getting up and causing trouble, and now that the US has made it a major struggle, if Venezuela wins it is a slap in the face of the US."

Diplomats say Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is directing a global lobbying campaign by US envoys in foreign capitals, contending that Venezuela doesn't belong on the council.

While the US is keeping the effort discreet to prevent a backlash against Guatemala, it is "getting tough behind the scenes," Peruvian Foreign Minister Jose Garcia Belaunde said.

Venezuela, the world's fifth-largest oil exporter, has picked up support from China, Russia and most Arab nations, among other UN members.

Chavez, 52, whose September 20 speech to the UN General Assembly came a day after Bush addressed the body, called the US "the greatest threat looking over our planet."

Asked last week about the speech, US Ambassador John Bolton said Chavez's "conduct demonstrated exactly what we're concerned about." In remarks earlier this year, Bolton called Guatemala a "sincere country." Guatemala has never been on the Security Council; Venezuela has held a seat four times, most recently in 1992 and 1993.

"In 1990 and 1991, when Cuba was on the Security Council, it was extremely unhelpful and uncooperative at a time of great pressure," Bolton said in June, referring to Cuba's vote against the resolution authorizing the Gulf War.

"Nobody expects anything like complete unanimity on our issues, but there's a difference between constructive discussion and unconstructive behavior."

Venezuelan Foreign Minister Nicolas Maduro left no doubt during a visit to New York last month that his government sees the contest as Venezuela versus the US

"Our debate is not with Guatemala," Maduro told reporters.

"Our debate is with US Secretary of State of Condoleezza Rice. We are calling for an end to the unipolar world that has been so damaging. We are standing up for the voice of the people who are fighting for the democratization of the UN system."

The Security Council consists of five permanent members -- the US, UK, France, China and Russia -- and 10 governments elected for two-year terms, with five replaced each year. Only the permanent members have power to veto council resolutions.

The General Assembly, which includes all 192 UN member governments, will hold a secret ballot for the five new Security Council members. Winners need a two-thirds majority and will take their seats on the panel on January 1.

Belgium, Italy and South Africa are uncontested candidates for three of the five seats. Indonesia and Nepal are vying for the fifth position, which will go to an Asian nation.

Mexico's Berruga and other envoys said Guatemala and Venezuela both may fall short of the 128 votes needed for election. Either Costa Rica or the Dominican Republic, which are in line for seats in 2007, may become a third contender this year, he said.

"We have a very good track record as serious, responsible, professional," said Guatemala Foreign Minister Gert Rosenthal.

"Many who heard the speech would not apply those adjectives to it," Rosenthal said, referring to Chavez's address to the General Assembly.

Still, he said Guatemala has been careful not to be seen as too closely tied to the US. He said Chavez "tapped into legitimate frustration in many parts of the world that something is wrong." Guatemala has diplomatic relations with Cuba and didn't contribute troops to the US-led coalition that invaded Iraq in 2003, he said.

The US has failed before to block nations from becoming Security Council members. Syria won a seat in 2001 and Cuba in 1989, even with the US lobbying against them. The US did help defeat Sudan's candidacy in 2000 and Libya's in 1995.

China will vote for Venezuela because Guatemala has diplomatic relations with Taiwan, according to envoy Li Junhua.

Russian Ambassador Vitaly Churkin said his government backs Venezuela because of "high-level contacts" between the two nations. Venezuela has signed contracts to buy more than $3 billion of weapons from Russia since the beginning of 2005, according to the head of Russia's state weapons dealer.

Arab nations back Venezuela because the Chavez regime has supported their positions on Middle East issues, said Yahya Mahmassani, the Arab League's envoy to the UN.

Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay also will support Venezuela because of their membership in Mercosur, Latin America's largest trade bloc, said Argentine Ambassador Cesar Mayoral.

Rosenthal said most Central American and European nations would support Guatemala's candidacy, and that the votes of African and Asian countries would be about evenly split between the two contenders.

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