After more than a dozen rounds of voting at the United Nations, neither Guatemala nor Venezuela has been able to muster the two-thirds majority of the votes required to secure the rotating seat in the Security Council.

There is precedent, of course, for the voting to continue. In one case, it required 150 rounds of ballot-casting to break the deadlock and for Mexico to prevail. We do not believe, however, that this is a time for such exhausting effort, particularly in the context of this competition and its potential for divisiveness in the U.N. system.

What has emerged is not a contest between Guatemala and Venezuela and a test of their perspectives on the world and the perceived qualities either will bring to the solution of global issues. Rather, this is a straight contest between the United States and Venezuela, with Guatemala being Washington's proxy.

For Jamaica and its partners in the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), Guatemala started with a deficit with regard to any hope of securing their votes, on two counts. Perhaps, the most profound of these is the long-standing antipathy Commonwealth Caribbean countries have had towards Guatemala for its perceived hostile policies towards the English-speaking region.

For instance, Guatemala maintains a claim on the entirety of Belize, its English-speaking Central American neighbour, which is a member of CARICOM. Moreover, Guatemala was central to complaints at the World Trade Organisation (WTO) against the European Union's preferential regime for CARICOM banana exports to Europe. The weakening of preferences undermined the region's banana industry and weakened economies.

Secondly, there is a strong sense in CARICOM that Guatemala on the Security Council would be incapable of assuming independent positions and would, essentially, pursue the dictates of the United States. And while this region values its friendship with the U.S. and supports many of its values, it is also aware of the difference in power relationships between itself and America and how this can often shape differences in geopolitical interests.

Venezuela's history of greater independence in foreign policy, sharpened by the advent of Hugo Chavez, made Caracas a more natural ally for CARICOM with regard to the Security Council seat, even though the region is not always happy with Mr. Chavez's rhetoric. The history of friendship between Venezuela and the Caribbean, and Mr. Chavez's more recent generosity to CARICOM states from his country's oil windfall only added to the region's notion of where its best interests lie.

It has, however, grown clear that the contest at the U.N. has grown harshly polarised, where victory and defeat is emerging as the issue at stake rather than the promotion of values and interests. In this contest, though, both sides, the United States and Venezuela have already lost, for neither has been able to convince a sufficient constituency that it would represent its best interests. Practically, while its name is on the ballot, Guatemala was never really seen to be in the race.

Given the reality of what is taking place, it would be in the best interest of the United Nations and global security if both parties, Venezuela and Guatemala, formally withdraw and allow a consensus candidate to emerge, which at this point seems to be Costa Rica.

It is time that we tell this to Venezuela and the United States.

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