1.  What is the purpose of the U.N. Security Council?

2. a) List the 5 permanent members of the Security Council. 
b) How many additional Security Council members are there?
c) For how long does each non-permanent member serve on the Security Council?
(For a list of current members, go the Security Council webpage.)

3. What percentage of the vote must a country receive to be elected to the Security Council?

4. What remarks made by President Chavez of Venezuela are believed to have caused even some supporters to vote against Venezuela becoming a Security Council member?
(View the video of Chavez's speech at CBSNews.com.)

5.  Three experts on Latin America were quoted for this article:

• Jeffrey Laurenti (para. 2-6, 21-23)
• Larry Birns (para. 8, 15-20)
• Steve Johnson (para. 10-13)

List the reasons offered by each for why some countries who had previously supported Venezuela's bid to become a Security Council member changed their minds when voting with secret ballots.

6.  During his speech at the U.N., Chavez called President Bush the devil.  He received loud applause from the member country representatives.  How does Steve Johnson explain this?