Basseterre, St Kitts (AP) July 04: The 15-member Caribbean Community will discuss Venezuela's bid for a UN Security Council seat, which the United States opposes, an official said yesterday.

The Caribbean Community (Caricom) will talk about the bid tomorrow during its summit, St Kitts Foreign Minister Timothy Harris said.

Washington officials have encouraged Latin American and Caribbean nations to vote for Guatemala for the region's rotating seat on the 15-member Security Council, which may soon have high-stakes decisions to make about nuclear moves by Iran and North Korea.

Chavez has sought to improve Venezuela's ties with both Iran and North Korea, complicating US diplomatic efforts.
If Latin American and Caribbean nations cannot reach consensus on a regional representative, the UN General Assembly will select one in October.

The Security Council has five permanent members with veto power - the United States, Britain, Russia, China and France - and 10 non-permanent members that serve two-year terms, but have no power to veto resolutions. New council members take their seats January 1.