Venezuela's Hopes of a Seat on the Security Council Seem to Be Fading.

Venezuela's hopes of a seat on the UN security council looked to be fading today, with Guatemala maintaining its advantage as voting resumed for a Latin American seat at the top table.

In a second day of voting, Guatemala - backed by the US - gained 107 votes in the 11th round of balloting. Venezuela gained 76. Eight countries abstained. A two-thirds majority of the 192-member general assembly is needed for victory.

Venezuela has complained of US strong-arm tactics to prevent it from winning a two-year term on the 15-nation council.

"There were a lot of telephone calls made from Washington ... to coerce and scare countries that had decided to vote for Venezuela," said a Venezuelan diplomat, Roy Chaderton, who played a key role in his country's campaign for the seat.

Even the Guatemalan foreign minister, Gert Rosenthal, expressed unease about the highly public US campaign against Venezuela, and sought to distance his country from the US.

After yesterday's polling, Mr Rosenthal said his nation was an "independent voice" that would vote according to its own policies.

"And frankly we resent it a bit being told we are going to toe the line of not only the US but any other power," Mr Rosenthal said. "We make our own decisions."

A failure to gain a seat on the top diplomatic table would be a blow to Venezuela's president, Hugo Chávez, who has criss-crossed the globe attempting to drum up support for his country's bid.

Mr Chávez has also offered millions of petrodollars in aid. For him, a seat on the council would provide a high-profile platform from which to berate the US.

But Mr Chávez's over-the-top style may have backfired. In a speech to the general assembly last month, he called George Bush "the devil", adding that he could still smell sulphur on the podium where the US president had spoken the day before. While that kind of talk may go down well in Caracas, it can prove jarring for the clientele at the UN.

In one vote yesterday Venezuela pulled even with Guatemala, but ended the day with 77 votes compared to 110, similar to the first ballot eight hours earlier.

Latin American states could agree to put forward a new candidate - but only if the present two contenders agree to step down. Latin America has been split on the contest. Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay and Bolivia are considered supporters of Venezuela. Mexico, Colombia and most Central American nations have indicated support for Guatemala. Chile abstained.

Possible compromise candidates include Uruguay, Costa Rica, Mexico or Chile, though the Chilean foreign minister, Alejandro Foxley, has said his country is not seeking a council place.

The record number of ballots for a security council seat occurred in 1979, when the general assembly held 154 unsuccessful votes in a contest between Cuba and Colombia. Mexico then won in the 155th round after being put forward.

Venezuela has served four times on the security council. Guatemala has never had a seat but is a big contributor of troops to UN peacekeeping missions.

The other four seats that will become open on the council were filled yesterday without much fuss. South Africa, Indonesia, Italy and Belgium will replace Tanzania, Japan, Denmark and Greece.

The 10 non-permanent seats on the council are filled by regional groups for two-year stretches. Peru holds the other seat reserved for Latin America until the end of 2007. The real power on the council lies with the five veto-wielding permanent members: Britain, China, France, Russia and the US.