Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, whose country was just elected by the United Nations General Assembly to serve a two year term on the Security Council during 2015 and 2016 in place of departing Argentina, gave a preview of the anti-West, anti-capitalism rhetoric we can expect his country to contribute. He blamed the United States for the recent decline in global oil prices, noting what he claimed was the intent to hurt Russia.
"The U.S. and its allies want to affect oil prices to harm Russia, which produces around 10 million barrels per day, and that is the vital income of their economy," said Maduro. Unsaid was the devastating impact of falling oil prices on Venezuela’s own oil-centric socialist economy.
The last time Venezuela campaigned to fill one of the ten non-permanent seats on the Security Council was back in 2006. The Bush administration successfully thwarted Venezuela’s bid by lobbying enough member states to vote against Venezuela’s candidacy or to abstain. This year, the Obama administration stood on the sidelines. Only after Venezuela’s election to the Security Council was official did the U.S. Ambassador to the UN Samantha Power publicly express concern:
“This year, Venezuela ran unopposed for the 2015-2016 Latin American seat. Unfortunately, Venezuela’s conduct at the UN has run counter to the spirit of the UN Charter and its violations of human rights at home are at odds with the Charter’s letter. The United States will continue to call upon the government of Venezuela to respect the fundamental freedoms and universal human rights of its people.”
Venezuela is a basket case. Its brand of anti-American socialism has resulted in a battered economy, an increasing rate of violent crime and a restive citizenry whose protests have been harshly repressed by Maduro’s government. Yet we can expect to hear repeated lectures from Venezuela’s UN representatives about the evils of capitalism and U.S. “imperialism” in the Security Council chamber during the next couple of years, echoing Maduro’s speech to the UN General Assembly in September when he lambasted the "imperial forces" of the American empire "that have tried again and again to undermine democracy." Venezuela is also likely to try to pursue its plan to seek United Nations condemnation of the United States for allegedly fomenting the anti-government protests in a purported effort to bring about a coup d’état in Venezuela.
Russian President Vladimir Putin could not be happier with Venezuela’s accession to the Security Council. In place of Argentina, which joined other members in criticizing Russia’s aggression in Ukraine, Russia has picked up an ally to defend that aggression.
Last July, during a meeting between Maduro and Putin in Moscow, the Russian president lavished praise on former Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez’s successor. “I am very glad to note that you have taken firmly the baton from your predecessor, who was one of the brightest leaders in Latin America, Hugo Chavez, and continue the development of Russian-Venezuelan relations,” Putin remarked.
Maduro responded in kind. “Chavez always showed a great respect and love for Russia, we inherited this love to Russia. We came to confirm the desire to strengthen and expand a strategic alliance with Russia,” Maduro said.
Last March, Maduro came to Russia’s defense regarding Ukraine, declaring that the U.S. and the European Union were entirely to blame for the crisis. “What has happened in Crimea is a response to the format that made Ukrainian democracy collapse,” he said. “And there is only one reason for this: the anti-Russian policy of the US and some European countries. They seek to encircle Russia in order to weaken and eventually destroy it.”
While the U.S.’s veto power will prevent Venezuela from advancing any Security Council resolutions contrary to U.S. interests, Venezuela’s presence on the Council will no doubt make the body even more dysfunctional than it has been to date.
