Caracas, 3 de octubre de 2003 - Offnews.info

9sensitivity of Chile's diplomatic decision was demonstrated by the fact thatthe Michelle Bachelet administration left it until the night before the vote toconfirm its intention to abstain. In anodyne terms, Chilean governmentspokesman Ricardo Lagos Weber explained its pronouncement as the resultof a lack of information to "achieve consensus in Chile". Consensus politicsand light-handed diplomacy still reign under the fourth consecutiveConcertación administration. An additional negative point for Venezuelarests on Hugo Chavez's last speech to the UN in which he compared U.S.President George W, Bush to the devil and claimed to have smelled the"sulphur" he left behind after his speech (see Venezuela: 21 September2006: ).Guatemala's Governance BidGuatemalan efforts to promote independent reasons to back its candidacywere overshadowed by its conversion into the candidate for the U.S. TheCentral American nation appeared as something of a puppet of the U.S.government, inadvertently placed in direct conflict with belligerentVenezuela. Unflinching backers of Guatemala came in the form Mexico, theUnited Kingdom, France and Portugal, not to mention the United Statesitself. Central American colleagues also came to the Guatemalan campdespite the petro-dollars at their disposal from Venezuela. The EuropeanUnion (EU), which, with the UN, played a pivotal role in the conclusion ofGuatemala's 36-year civil conflict, gave their backing alongside othernations in the old continent, with the notable exception of Russia. Mexicansupport to Guatemala has been guaranteed since May this year, strengthenedby recent visits from President Vicente Fox and successor Felipe Calderónwhere both expressed a commitment to mutual development and energyprojects when the governing National Action Party (PAN) returns for asecond consecutive term on 1 December. Geopolitics made it much easierfor more northerly nations in the Americas to throw their weight behind theGuatemalan bid while nations in South America faced the prospect of astronger loyalty contest from the oil-rich Andean nation. Presiding overGuatemala's search for a seat on the powerful UNSC was new ForeignMinister Gert Rosenthal, who replaced long-serving Jorge Briz in July thisyear. Facing potential defeat, Rosenthal, who previously representedGuatemala's diplomatic mission to the UN, stressed his country's advantage