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President Hugo Chávez’s foreign policy suffered an important setback this week. Notwithstanding the enormous amount of resources that he invested in his intense world lobby (Arab channel, Al Jazeera, estimated it at around $1,1 billion), Chávez will not occupy the next open non-permanent seat, vacated by Argentina, on the UN Security Council.

The results of the UN General Assembly vote reveal that Chávez was lying when he assured having the necessary votes to win the coveted Security Council seat. And even though Guatemala didn’t get the two thirds majority required to sit on the Council, it was Guatemalan president Oscar Berger that proved to be telling the truth when last month he assured everyone that he had 110 votes.

There are those who think that Chávez knew he was fighting a loosing battle when he put on his dramatic show during the opening ceremonies of the UN General Assembly meeting. They assure that this was precisely the reason why Chávez gave such a speech in order to make his presence felt internationally, like a drowning man kicks out in vain, trying to capitalize on anti-US sentiment, and thereby get to the Security Council. In fact, Chávez representatives, from the Vice-President down, have stated that the face-off is between Venezuela and the US and that Chávez was not defeated, since voting shows that more than 70 UN member countries “stood fast” against US imperialist policies.

However, no matter what they say, Chávez was defeated in his attempt to become the continent’s 21st Century leader and to spread his Bolivarian project throughout the world. Chávez’s foreign policy hasn’t won one since Bolivia’s president Evo Morales was elected. There have been a number of Chávez backed candidates that have lost since then. For example the candidates he backed in Peru and Mexico, not to mention the humiliation suffered by the Manuel López Obrador led coalition, in Tabasco, his home state’s Governor’s race, considered the home court of his Democratic Revolutionary Party. Chávez’s support and backing of Evo Morales when he nationalized Petrobrás assets has also been held partially responsible for the fact that Luiz Inàcio Lula da Silva wasn’t reelected in the first round. And last but not least, his candidate Rafael Correa, also didn’t receive the necessary votes to win the Ecuadorian presidential election in the first round.

The events of the last few days demonstrates that governments and people have their own priorities and interests that go beyond any bribes that a hegemonic crazed leader with a treasury full of petro-dollars can offer them.

VenEconomy is a Venezuela's leading specialized publisher in the economic and financial area. VenEconomy's Points of View on the issues of the day, as seen by VenEconomy during the last week. Petroleumworld not necessarily share these views.

Editor's Note: This commentary was originally published by VenEconomy, on 10/17/2006. Petroleumworld reprint this article in the interest of our readers.

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Petroleumworld 10/18/06

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