Chavez accuses US of 'dirty war'

Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez vowed that Venezuela will win a seat on the UN Security Council in a tightly contested vote today despite months of US lobbying against his country’s bid.

A rotating Security Council seat would give the leftist Chavez a higher profile and a platform on the world stage to challenge what he calls US “imperialism” in regions from the Middle East to Latin America.

Today’s vote by the UN General Assembly will be an important diplomatic test for Chavez, gauging his ability to lobby head-to-head against the US, which has actively backed Guatemala.

“Go forth with the bayonet! Venezuela is going to the Security Council,” Chavez said Sunday, encouraging Venezuela’s ambassador to the United Nations, Francisco Arias Cardenas.

He accused Washington of waging “a dirty war” against his country in a last-ditch effort to prevent it from defeating Guatemala.