VENEZUELAN President Nicolas Maduro became the spokesman for the world’s progressive voices on Thursday when he laid into US President Barack Obama’s announcement that he would authorise attacks on the Islamic State (Isis) group inside Syria.

The outspoken president blamed Washington’s support of President Bashar al-Assad’s foes for the emergence of the terror group.

His speech attracted little coverage in the capitalist press but commentators noted Venezuela would soon have a more public stage from which to comment.

Venezuela’s socialist government has quietly secured the backing of Latin American and Caribbean countries to obtain a seat on the United Nations security council.

The unanimous endorsement of Venezuela’s candidacy to represent the region came at a closed meeting of the 33-nation caucus on July 23.

While Venezuela must muster a two-thirds majority at the UN’s general assembly next month, the lack of a regional rival candidate means the chances of its candidacy being derailed are slim.

Any last-minute opposition could only come from the US, but Centre for Economic and Policy Research director Mark Weisbrot said Washington’s influence was now minimal in Latin America.

President Maduro’s concern for national sovereignty is in step with other regional leaders, he said, so Venezuela could serve as a counterweight to the US on the council when debating the use of force.

“Venezuela isn’t subject to pressure from the US and its allies — and today, when the US is the most war-making country in the world, that’s very important,” he noted.