Saga Rages over UN LatAm Seat

United Nations
Nov 1

Venezuela and Guatemala s foreign ministers are arriving in New York Wednesday to negotiate once more who will fill an empty seat on the UN Security Council for Latin America and the Caribbean.

After concluding Tuesday 47 voting rounds over the last 15 days, Venezuela emerges triumphant at blocking the United States from a Guatemala insertion.

"We held up to the main power of the planet," Venezuela ambassador Francisco Arias Cardenas told press on Tuesday.

Washington has used the small Central American country s candidature to impede the Bolivarian government, led by President Hugo Chavez, from entering that world entity.

Diplomatic officials confirmed that Venezuela s Foreign Minister Nicolas Maduro and his Guatemalan counterpart Gert Rosenthal will meet in New York today through the Latin American and Caribbean Group (GRULAC).

This is the fourth time both countries will try to reach an agreement to solve voting and fill Argentina s vacant seat in that top organization on December 31.

If this time the parties do not reach an accord, then voting will be renewed at the General Assembly on Tuesday afternoon.