At the UN, the standoff over an open seat on the Security Council came to an official end Tuesday with the election of Panama. Venezuela and Guatemela agreed to nominate Panama last week after neither country could win enough votes. Venezuela’s nomination came under intense pressure from the United States.

Venezuelan UN Ambassador Francisco Javier Arias Cardenas: “The election had interventions that the assembly clearly witnessed in the same room. the ambassador of the United States says this is a triumph for his country, for the United States, that it achieves its objective, when a developing country such as ours does not achieve a seat in the Security Council.”