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Venezuela, Guatemala Drop U.N. Council Bid Stewart Stogel UNITED NATIONS -- It was a fight that began more than a year ago.
Venezuela's fiery President Hugo Chavez flew around the world several times to seek support for elevation to a two-year, non-permanent United Nations Security Council seat.
Chavez - remembered for a recent, infamous U.N. speech where he repeatedly mocked President George W. Bush, calling him "the devil" - boasted that his campaign to get on the Security Council, was "a fight to the finish."
It became what many in Venezuela had believed turned into an "obsession" by the flamboyant Latin leader.
That fight, however, was eventually blocked by Guatemala and strongly supported by the Bush White House.
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The result was more than 40 rounds of balloting spanning more than three weeks, with neither side receiving the two-thirds majority of the 192 General Assembly needed for election to the Security Council.
Guatemala led in every voting round but one, but it always fell just short of winning the election.
But, as in a heavyweight boxing match, with neither opponent landing a knockout punch, Venezuela and Guatemala on Wednesday night decided to call a truce and withdraw their candidacies.
The new compromise candidate: Panama.
The climax came after a day of intensive meetings between Venezuela's foreign minister, Nicolas Maduro, and his Guatemalan counterpart Gert Rosenthal.
Just last week Rosenthal walked out of a meeting with Maduro telling reporters that Guatemala had no intention of withdrawing from the race.
Guatemala, it was believed, carried on because of White House insistence, however in recent days that support was said to have waned.
Latino diplomats, increasingly frustrated by the lack of a consensus candidate, had been trying in vain to seek a solution for the last two weeks.
First, Bolivia surfaced as a way out, then Costa Rica. Next up was Dominican Republic, but in the end, it was a dark horse, Panama, that emerged victorious.
While all parties need to get the agreement "formalized" by their respective governments, no obstacles are foreseen.
The plan is to have the U.N. General Assembly vote on the seat by early next week, say diplomats.
The United States mission to the U.N. had no immediate comment, but is expected to back Panama's candidacy.
Editor's note:
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