Sandra Torres, the President of the National Unity of Hope (UNE), transitioned from social democracy to more conservative stances during her third bid for the presidency. She secured 37% of the votes, whereas Bernardo Arévalo, a progressive sociologist affiliated with the Seed Movement, emerged victorious in the Guatemalan elections by obtaining 58% of the votes.
He added, “each person’s vote in this historic moment represented an act of courage, an act of defending democracy, regardless of the chosen option.” Arévalo thanked the Guatemalan voters. As the elected president, in his first statements, Arévalo declared that he will echo his main promise to fight against the corruption that corrodes the country, stating “enough of so much corruption, the people are shouting it and […]” The ballot boxes have expressed. Today, we humbly accept the victory of the Guatemalan people.
Bernardo Arévalo wins the elections in Guatemala.
We will work today to ensure the well-being of our beloved country, so that no one is marginalized or ignored. Under the new Spring Government, citizens will be protected and promoted, and their rights will be guaranteed. However, we have different approaches in politics. In these elections, I acknowledge Sandra Torres as a contender who also made a promise. Karin Herrera, the elected vice president and a scientist and teacher, said that they would work for all Guatemalan families and for a government that belongs to everyone.
Many Guatemalan voters, who had the sensation of participating in a historic election on this Sunday, may feel hopeful as the rise of authoritarianism is being halted. The majority of Guatemalan voters are challenging traditional political ways, which has been sparked by the heat of the 2015 anti-corruption protests and the emergence of this anti-system party. Despite not appearing in any predictions, the candidate from the Semilla Movement, who started in second place in the first round of the June 25th elections, consolidates the surprise with Arévalo’s victory.
“Arévalo president” and “Yes we could!” Exclaimed the numerous Guatemalans who jubilated Semilla’s triumph with Guatemalan flags, horns, and “Yes we could” and “Arévalo president” chants while the media awaited the initial remarks from the chosen leader. Up until that point and at the nearby Plaza del Obelisco, Bernardo Arévalo and his team celebrated the victory at the Las Américas hotel, in the Guatemalan capital, where their campaign emphasized the ongoing tally of votes.
At the UNE headquarters, there was darkness and silence. During the night, in a press conference, he reiterated his questioning of the process and the need for the Public Ministry to investigate the alleged irregularities that he has been denouncing for days without offering evidence. His last public appearance occurred before the closing of the ballot boxes. On the other hand, Sandra Torres had planned to hold a conference at her campaign headquarters, but it was canceled.
On January 14th, Alejandro Giammattei, the President of Guatemala, congratulated the Guatemalans for the electoral day and extended an invitation for a smooth transition to the following day when the official results are finalized. He also mentioned that Arévalo, who will have the power to transfer, should do so.
Following the consolidation, it can be said that this Sunday’s election in Guatemala, highlighted by Aguilera, is a democracy. He added, “It is worth fighting for democracy and protecting it in future processes.” The magistrate of the Supreme Electoral Tribunal called on parties to accept the results of the election with political maturity, saying, “It is worth the effort.” The press conference was held at eight o’clock in the evening. The citizen participation was somewhat higher, reaching 45%. The election day unfolded with some isolated incidents, but overall, it was developed with normalcy. More than 9.3 million Guatemalans were called to the polls.
During Alejandro Giammattei’s tenure as president, there was a systematic targeting of former government officials who had actively opposed corruption. This led to Consuelo Porras assuming control of the Ministry of Public Prosecutions, which sparked a series of legal persecutions that ultimately resulted in the forced exile of numerous former prosecutors and judges. While residing in the United States, they closely monitored the development of Arévalo’s undeniable triumph and openly expressed their elation. In a tweet, former prosecutor Francisco Sandoval exclaimed, “We are thrilled by the victory, the victory of the Guatemalan people! They will witness our return!” Attached to the message was a picture of Sandoval proudly posing with the flag, standing alongside former Attorney General Thelma Aldana, as well as former judges Erika Aifán and Claudia Escobar, and several other former officials who were compelled to leave the country.
He said, “This is a message of encouragement for the people of Guatemala,” Sandoval later told EL PAÍS that the election results had given him a “moment of great enthusiasm, hope for a better future, much joy, much emotion, but also increased nostalgia because we feel close to our return but also uncertainty about that possibility.”
“Future president” and “Long live Arévalo!” Exclaimed his campaign team and a few supporters who clapped and gathered around him amidst a flurry of journalists. Supported by Semilla deputies, Bernardo Arévalo cast his vote before nine in the morning at Colegio La Patria, situated in the heart of Guatemala City.
After accompanying his mother to the electoral college, he wrote a message on his social media account in which he showed photos of his family having breakfast. Today, like many Guatemalans, we are hopeful that a better future comes with the triumph of democracy. After casting his vote with his wife, Arevalo urged, “Let’s go early voting, Guatemalans, with joy.”
“We have a lot of hope, but living under dictatorships governed by corrupt elites for almost 70 years has not made it easy. We have no other option but to consider that traditional politics with opaque financing and without any ties is supported by the Seed party for over four years,” she told EL PAÍS. “We come with a lot of hope and a lot of enthusiasm because we feel that voting with conviction for a government of change is the first time we have this option.” Rebeca Sánchez, a lawyer who finally became the elected president, also approached Semilla with her family’s support and voted for the candidate in the school. “She assured that voting would have a historic result that Guatemala’s political history has rarely seen, and accompanied Arévalo as one of the members of that party, Samuel Pérez, the deputy.”
Her mother, economist Blanca Ralda, added, “We are tired of this, we hope in God that it really is a change, as we are desperate.” Referring to Arévalo, she said, “He is the son of the best president Guatemala has ever had.” Her father, Juan José Arévalo, governed Guatemala between 1945 and 1951.
He said last week in an interview with EL PAÍS, “We always say: ‘We don’t have a magic wand’. The country’s problems won’t be solved in four years, but we can start doing it and that’s what we have to demonstrate.” But the president-elect does not promise miracles for Guatemala, a country of 17.6 million inhabitants, where nearly 60% of the population lives below the poverty line, and with significant deficiencies in health, education, and infrastructure. Arévalo has won the elections with the promise of recovering Guatemalan institutions, suffocated by corruption, in order to make the State work for the population from there.
The majority of political parties in Congress will have to govern against each other, where two parties have a pronounced firmness. The elected president will not have it easy. Sandra Torres from UNE, the traditional political party, and Alejandro Giammattei from Vamos, the ruling party, will be against each other. “In order to prevent these actors from continuing to commit acts of corruption, it is necessary to establish the mechanisms to pursue them criminally,” said Marielos Arévalo Chang, a political scientist. Now, Semilla and Arévalo Chang will have the challenge of determining their role in the fight against corruption, following the dissolution of the International Commission against Impunity in Guatemala (CICIG).
Chang states that in order to reconstruct the nation, it is imperative to contemplate allies from alternative domains that may not have been initially taken into account, such as a faction of moderate business owners or from the political realm, as they are crucial for implementing the necessary reforms that require votes within the Congress. He further explains that engaging in dialogue with previously opposing groups, who can collaborate on specific matters like recuperating institutions, is essential. Considering Bernardo [Arévalo]’s expertise in reconciliation and fostering agreement, it is hoped, for the benefit of the country, that they opt for the second approach and commence considering allies from other sectors that were not initially considered but are indispensable for rebuilding the nation.
“Today we currently see that the leader of the body, who is Alejandro Giammattei, is corrupt. And that also encourages other actors from other institutions to act in a corrupt manner,” said the political scientist in statements to EL PAÍS, who emphasizes the importance of having a “healthy” leader of the country. “It will be interesting to know what will happen when that leader is healthy, what the message will be and what the action and incentives of the actors from the other institutions will be to work in that direction here.”
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