UNITED NATIONS/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States will not stand in the way of Venezuela securing a temporary seat on the U.N. Security Council in 2015-16 after Latin American and Caribbean states unanimously endorsed its bid, U.N. diplomats and U.S. sources say.
The U.S. stance is in sharp contrast to its position in 2006, when Washington successfully campaigned against Venezuela's drive to join the 15-nation council, the only United Nations body that can authorise sanctions or military force. At that time, Venezuela failed to secure the requisite two-thirds majority of votes in the General Assembly for its bid after dozens of rounds of secret-ballot voting.
