U.S. Is Aiming to Block Venezuela's Bid for U.N. Role

U.S. Is Aiming to Block Venezuela's Bid for U.N. Role

The Bush administration fights the nation's pursuit of a seat on the Security Council, saying that President Hugo Chavez's influence could disrupt moves against Iran.

By Paul Richter and Maggie Farley, Times Staff Writers
June 19, 2006

WASHINGTON — The Bush administration is lobbying to prevent Venezuela from securing an open seat on the U.N. Security Council because of concern that its leading South American rival could confound plans to step up pressure on Iran.

Under United Nations rules, Latin American governments are entitled to pick a country from the region to fill the rotating seat that comes open next year. Venezuela has been campaigning for the post.

But the Bush administration is urging Latin American countries to vote for a U.S. ally, Guatemala, instead, warning that the populist government of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez cannot be trusted on crucial issues such as Iran's nuclear program, given its "disruptive and irresponsible behavior" in international organizations.

Behind the scenes, U.S. officials have been applying pressure, even to close allies, Latin American diplomats say. For example, Washington has agreed to sell F-16 fighter jets to Chile, but are warning that Chilean pilots will not be trained to fly them if the government supports Venezuela's Security Council bid, the diplomats said.
(snip/...)

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-venezuela19jun19,0,2794265.story?coll=la-home-headlines

inspired. </sarcasm>

Surely John Bolton wouldn't stoop so low!!!!

The U.N. should sanction the U.S.

allies, that means Chavez has a great chance to get in. They lost a lot of the small countries who stood up against the US in the first iraq vote. Their position is weaker than ever and Chavez offers more than hope, a necessity of staying away from Bush influence.

Jets. Tinkertoys. they can get jets and training from the Soviets or France or anyone. Who needs US technology when they can't use them against the US anyway? And if this a subtle threat to arm their neighbors with superior weaponry I can imagine how popular THAT is going to make our weapons merchandising. I can see Chavez leading the region yet another huge step away from US interference by changing how (or if) the region does this "defense spending".

The jig is up. Only brute force can restore the old order and once people have gotten a peaceful prosperous, working taste for a better world it is impossible to win. It is one thing for desperate people to join Communists for justice and hopes they have never seen and descend into hopeless quagmires of violence. It is another when a fair society gains those things in peaceful moderation and they have them to lose.

If they or we survive, Bush will have been a great benefit to Latin America, more than ANY other US President. Totally unintentional, of course.

they freakin veto everything anyway..

This sounds like an act of aggression.

The Russian fighters are as good as the US ones, and the US doesn't have the plans to them either. Any pro-independence Latin government should buy Russian, and not U.S. weapons.