Caracas denies it will disrupt UN Security Council

Ali Rodriguez, the former Maoist terrorist who is now Venezuela's foreign minister, strenuously denies that his government would be a disruptive presence on the United Nations Security Council.

"We will use our position there to support peace in the world and refuse all kinds of attacks on peaceful countries," Rodriguez tells the BBC.

The US is trying to prevent Venezuela from assuming a rotating membership on the UN Security Council.

When Venezuela headed OPEC, Rodriguez tried but failed to steer the oil cartel down a militantly anti-US course.