MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Venezuela, Guatemala seek new candidate

Venezuela and Guatemala have agreed in principle to end their contest for a coveted seat on the UN Security Council but have yet to agree on an alternate candidate, diplomats said.

The UN General Assembly resumed voting yesterday, but results remained inconclusive.

The Venezuelan and Guatemalan foreign ministers intend to meet in New York this morning to try to agree on a consensus candidate.

Guatemala is backed by the Bush administration for the two-year seat while Venezuela has painted the race as a battle against Washington and its UN ambassador, John Bolton.

"They accept in principle that they will withdraw their candidacies. But they are not set on a third country," Brazilian Ambassador Ronaldo Sardenberg told reporters.

Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez said his ally Bolivia would be a good compromise. But Guatemala's Foreign Minister Gert Rosenthal made clear on Sunday that Bolivia was unacceptable.

Other nations mentioned for the seat have included Uruguay, Paraguay, Costa Rica and the Dominican Republic.