Guatemala faces decision between former first lady and an up-and-coming leftist in thrilling presidential race

Over 9.3 million Guatemalans are set to cast their votes this Sunday, determining the country’s next president for the coming four years.

The former First Lady Sandra Torres is squaring off in this run-off election against legislator Bernardo Arévalo, son of the former reformist president Juan José Arévalo.

This marks Torres’ fourth presidential bid and her third time reaching the run-off phase, having previously faced defeats in 2019 to the incumbent Alejandro Giammattei and in 2015 to Jimmy Morales.

In the June 25 election, Torres and her party, Unión Nacional de la Esperanza (UNE), secured the lead with 15.7% of the votes, while Arévalo received 11.8%.

Representing the left-leaning Movimiento Semilla, Arévalo’s ascent to this election phase was unexpected.

After stepping aside in the 2019 pre-elections, this is his inaugural presidential run to allow prosecutor Thelma Aldana to proceed.

Despite facing scrutiny over potential irregularities in his party’s legal registration, Guatemala’s Supreme Electoral Tribunal (TSE) confirmed Arévalo’s participation in this run-off.

Both candidates have prioritized combating state corruption and bolstering national security as the nation grapples with gang-related activities and drug trafficking.

In 2022, Guatemala recorded a homicide rate of 17 per 100,000 citizens.

Coupled with gang-related crimes, this positions Guatemala among Central America’s most volatile nations.

Both contenders emphasize strengthening social support to address poverty – a challenge impacting over half of Guatemala’s population as per World Bank data.

For this election, the TSE has set up 3,482 polling stations nationwide, including Guatemalan consulates abroad, predominantly in the U.S.