Bolivia put forward for UN council as deadlock reached

VENEZUELA proposed its ally Bolivia as an alternative candidate for the United Nations Security Council yesterday in an attempt to break a deadlock with the United States-backed Guatemala.

Alvaro Garcia Linera, Bolivia's vice-president , said it would accept the nomination only if his country would be a "tool to reach consensus".

Several countries in the region have expressed hope of an alternative candidate, but it was not clear they would agree on Bolivia, whose left-wing president, Evo Morales, is among the closest allies of Venezuala's president, Hugo Chavez.

Venezuela's ambassador to the UN, Francisco Arias Cardenas, told the local radio network FFF that he understood Guatemala has suggested Costa Rica as an option. Guatemala has denied that, however.

Mr Arias Cardenas said talks had been held to discuss options as neither side has been able to muster the needed two-thirds majority of the 192-member general assembly.

"The proposal is that we're going to look for an agreement, we're going to look for a way out, we're going to look for a consensus ... around one candidate," he said. "We propose Bolivia as an alternative for consensus."

Venezuela, meanwhile, was maintaining its candidacy ahead of a 36th round of voting scheduled to be held at the UN.

"It seems to us that Bolivia meets the conditions" to be a fitting candidate, Mr Maduro said. "The name of Bolivia is on the table ... we've shown our willingness to have a dialogue, to talk."

Venezuela has trailed Guatemala in 34 of the 35 votes at the UN so far, and tied the Central American country in one round last week. Mr Arias Cardenas said more talks were planned and that "another alternative" might emerge.

Venezuela has denounced what it calls coercive measures by the US government to keep a Washington critic off the Security Council. Possible compromise candidates mentioned by other countries for the rotating UN seat included Chile, Uruguay or Brazil.