Guatemala. The leader of the Movimiento Semilla party, Bernardo Arévalo de León, a 64-year-old academic, won this Sunday, August 20, the elections in Guatemala, being the most voted president in the history of the country.
Arévalo de León, who is paired with Karin Herrara, reached a total of 2 million 441 thousand 661 votes, for 58% of the total votes cast, while his contender, Sandra Torres Casanova, of the National Unity of Hope (UNE), obtained 1 million 567 thousand 472 votes, for 37.2%.
Arévalo de León is a sociologist and is the son of Guatemala’s first democratically elected president, Juan José Arévalo (1945-1951).
Once the victory was confirmed, the elected president of Guatemala said that he will continue his father’s policy, developing a social and change agenda, to fight corruption, poverty and violence.
For many, this triumph is a hope in a Guatemala that requires profound social changes, where thousands of Guatemalans constantly emigrate to the United States in search of economic improvements, escaping violence.
Once the victory was known, Arévalo de León gave a press conference where he reaffirmed his government program, congratulating all Guatemalans for this victory.
“We are going to make a government that takes care of all people regardless of differences and to ensure that institutions earn their trust,” he said.
“Thank you, people of Guatemala, this triumph is not ours, it is yours who supported us along this electoral path. This victory is of the people and now united, as a people, we will fight against corruption,” said the new president-elect.
Once his victory was confirmed, he received calls from President Alejandro Giammattei, with whom he agreed to begin the transition process, as well as from Sandra Torres, who acknowledged his defeat. He also spoke with the president of El Salvador, Nayib Bukele, and the president of Mexico, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, who congratulated him.
Bernardo Arévalo and Norma Torres competed in a runoff election, after failing to reach the necessary ballots in the first race.
Source: Periódico Digital Centroamericano y del Caribe
