Venezuela refuses to drop bid for U.N. Security seat

UNITED NATIONS — Venezuela refused to abandon its bid for a U.N. Security Council seat despite trailing Guatemala in a dozen rounds of voting Tuesday, creating a deadlock that led to new calls for a compromise candidate.

In the day's last vote — the 22nd over two days — Guatemala garnered 102 votes to Venezuela's 77. That result, similar to that of many of the previous rounds in the General Assembly, was short of the two-thirds majority of the 192-member body needed to win, and diplomats said it appeared that neither would be able to bridge the gap.

The U.N. General Assembly will take a day off from voting on Wednesday to allow Latin American and Caribbean nations time to seek a way out of the standoff over their regional seat. The 23rd ballot will be held on Thursday morning.

"It looks like things are frozen," Ghana's U.N. Ambassador Nana Effah-Apenteng said.

Usually, the 10 rotating seats on the council are filled quietly, with the regional groups they are reserved for agreeing on a candidate to take the two-year term. But Guatemala and Venezuela both covet the seat that will be vacated by Argentina on Dec. 31, and their standoff has split the 32-nation Latin American and Caribbean Group.

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez said Tuesday that his country will not give up in its bid for the council seat, despite trailing Guatemala.

"Venezuela doesn't give up," Chavez said. "I say it here to the whole world, Venezuela will continue waging this battle."

Venezuela's U.N. Ambassador Francisco Arias Cardenas said Venezuela would only leave the race if President Bush or U.S. Ambassador John Bolton publicly agreed to stop what he claimed was a campaign of pressure on other nations to vote for Guatemala, its preferred candidate.

Chavez has waged a vehement anti-U.S. campaign for the seat, and his nation's failure could cost him politically.

Bolton rejected Cardenas' proposal, and denied pressuring anyone.

"We have made our position in a very low-key way," Bolton said. "It's motivated by our concern for Venezuela's behavior."

Guatemalan Foreign Minister Gert Rosenthal said by tradition, Venezuela ought to withdraw because it trails in the vote count. He suggested that his nation might be willing to step down, but only if Venezuela does too.