Guatemala Says It Won't Quit U.N. Fight

Guatemala's Foreign Minister Gert Rosenthal looks on after a press conference on Monday, Oct. 23, 2006 in Guatemala City, Guatemala. Guatemala and Venezuela are competing for a seat on the United Nations Security Council. (AP Photo/Moises Castillo) (Moises Castillo - AP)

GUATEMALA CITY -- Guatemala's foreign minister said Monday his country is not giving up its fight for a seat on the U.N. Security Council and will court non-Latin American members to sway the vote in its favor over rival Venezuela.

"It would be unfair if someone else would capitalize without effort on the huge amount of work we've put into this," said Foreign Minister Gert Rosenthal.

Guatemala has led Venezuela in 34 of 35 of the votes held since voting started a week ago, but hasn't been able to muster the necessary two-thirds majority in the 192-nation General Assembly needed to win the seat. The 36th round of voting is slated for Wednesday

Venezuela has also refused to withdraw, saying that to do so would be to cede victory to the United States, which has campaigned against it and for Guatemala.

Latin American and Caribbean countries are also too divided to pick one of the many compromise candidates that have been suggested, including Costa Rica, Panama, the Dominican Republic, Uruguay, Mexico, Brazil and Chile.