MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Venezuela or Guatemala, but what about a third candidate?

The possibility of a third consensus candidate for the United Nations Security Council non permanent seat is being quietly considered in several Latinamerican countries who feel the dispute between Venezuela and Guatemala is causing much strain and could leave difficult-to-heal divisions.

Venezuela is optimistic about the candidacy because of the important support from "regional groups" which according to Foreign Affairs minister Nicolas Maduro "represent 70% of the region" and include Mercosur members, Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay and Paraguay plus the fourteen members that make up the Caribbean Community.

However Guatemala is supported by United States, and out of the region by the European Union, and possibly Mexico and Peru, countries with which Venezuela has serious diplomatic conflicts. The President Hugo Chavez administration refuses to recognize Mexico's president elect Felipe Calderon, alleging electoral fraud against the candidate he openly supported Manuel Andres Lopez Obrador, and has also questioned the validity of Peruvian elections which elected President Alan Garcia.

Furthermore a diplomatic incident involving the Venezuelan ambassador in Santiago who had no kind words for the Chilean ruling coalition junior member is feeding a growing sector that are adamant to see the Chavez administration representing Latinamerica (and Chile) in the UN.

Chilean president Michelle Bachelet has said she will not announce her country's support until hours before the vote in October but also recognizes that Venezuela strongly supported the Chilean candidate for the Organization of American States current Secretary General.

The idea of a third candidate was first floated during the recent UN General Assembly when Peruvian Foreign Affairs minister Jose Garcia Belaunde openly said that Lima favors supporting a third country for the Latinamerican non permanent Security Council seat.

"The election has polarized too much and we therefore favor a consensus candidate", said Garcia Belaunde who nevertheless did not advance any names.

"Neither Venezuela or Guatemala have the two thirds majority of votes needed to be elected to the Security Council", added the Peruvian minister.

However minister Maduro insisted that Venezuela has the support of "90% of African votes plus the 22 from the Arab League and from other important countries such as Russia, China, Vietnam, Indonesia, and Malaysia which are leading members in their regions".

Maduro said that in the coming October UN election for the seat the confrontation will be between "the imperial world of abuse and the South which begins to open its way and is represented by Venezuela".

He also praised those countries "which have had the courage" to anticipate their votes in spite of the "tremendous pressure" from Washington which does not with Venezuela's candidacy to prosper.