MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Chilean coalition divided over support for Venezuela

The possibility that Chile does not support Venezuela for a non permanent seat in the United Nations Security Council and thus promoting a third alternative has triggered a bitter controversy inside the Chilean ruling coalition.

While President Michelle Bachelet Socialist party supports Venezuela's candidacy, junior partners Christian Democrats reject point blank such a proposal.

The Christian Democrats spokesperson Soledad Alvear argued that Chile should not support an administration whose president does not have the capacity to "communicate" with all countries plus the fact it has bluntly interfered in electoral processes in other countries and used coarse language to refer to neighbouring leaders, such as has happened with Peru's elected president Alan García.

Furthermore Christian Democrats favour exploring a third option as was insinuated last Sunday by Chilean Foreign Secretary Alejandro Foxley in a Sunday interview with "El Mercurio".

"I've talked about it with President Bachelet and we're going to take our time" before reaching a decision, said Mr. Foxley during a press conference last Monday. But the Christian Democrats are not unanimous about President Chavez.

Senator Jorge Pizarro said "I don't approve demonizing President Chavez and his administration. He has his ideas and is fully committed to integration which is most respectable". Socialists are also divided in their support for President Chavez.

Senator Jaime Naranjo said that the personality of Mr Chavez has generated a climate of tension, division and "has disqualified other governments and other leaders. Therefore I don't believe he represents the true feeling of the Latinamerican community".

But a majority of the Socialist party argues that Chile has always supported South American candidates, which is the case of Venezuela, and there has been reciprocity: "Venezuela supported the Chilean candidate Jose Miguel Insulza as Secretary of the Organization of American States, OAS".

"This has been Chilean policy towards South America unless we want to turn the issue into an ideological challenge", said Senator Ricardo Nuñez head of the Socialist party International Relations.

Meantime in United States a report published in "Los Angeles Times" which details alleged Washington's pressures on Chile not to support Venezuela as a non permanent member of the UN Security Council was described as "false".

"The report is false; the article about Chile and the F 16 (fighter bombers aircrafts) is simply a false article", insisted State Department Secretary Adam Ereli.

The Los Angeles Times published this week quoting non identified Latinamerican diplomatic sources that Washington agreed the sale of F 16s to Chile, but with the warning that no Chilean pilots would be trained if Chile votes for Venezuela to the Security Council.

Ereli denied the information adding that "obviously it's up to every country to decide which candidate they will vote for the US Security Council".

Chilean president Michelle Bachelet who earlier this month visited President George Bush at the Oval Room of the White House, following the meeting said the issue hadn't been addressed adding there had been "no pressures".

However according to Los Angeles Times the Latinamerican diplomats' version is that the Bush administration made it very clear that it's a total priority that Venezuela does not take one of the Latinamerican seats in the Security Council.

United States is supporting Guatemala for the post which has a two year duration, 2007/08.

"We believe that the election of a non permanent member to the Security Council is crucial and can affect the good performance of the Council to address the threats to world peace and international security", said Ereli.

"We all have our views as to who are the good candidates. And obviously we believe Guatemala is an excellent candidate given its participation in world peace operations. Guatemalan blood has been spilt in UN peace operations and we are convinced they are a solid candidate and deserve our full support", added Ereli.