On Sunday 8 November 2026, a Guatemalan party chose Neto Bran, the mayor of Mixco, as its candidate for president in the 2027 elections. That Sunday assembly in Guatemala City matters to US readers because Guatemala’s next president will deal with Washington on security and drugs.
Key Facts
- Who. Neto Bran, mayor of Mixco, a large city beside Guatemala City, is the party’s presidential candidate.
- Ticket. Creo, a Guatemalan party, named Leonel Rodríguez Samayoa, a former Mixco councillor, as running mate.
- Vote. The first round is provisionally Sunday 27 June 2027, with a possible runoff on Sunday 22 August 2027.
- Registration. Bran hopes the Supreme Electoral Tribunal (TSE), Guatemala’s election authority, registers his candidacy in January 2027.
- Pledges. His campaign promises put roads first, then security, including the Army on the streets.
What Happened
Creo held its national assembly at a hotel in zone 4 of Guatemala City. The party proclaimed Neto Bran as its candidate for president in the 2027 general elections.
Leonel Rodríguez Samayoa, a former Mixco municipal adviser and councillor, will run for vice president. He served as seventh councillor in 2019, and Creo presented the ticket to its members at the assembly.
Other parties will hold assemblies through November, December and January. Our guide to who holds power in Guatemala explains the field.
Creo also proclaimed candidates for national-list deputies, who are elected on a party-wide list. It named candidates for the Central American Parliament as well.
Who Is Neto Bran
Bran has led Mixco for about ten years. He will leave the mayor’s office to run, as reported on the day.
This is his first presidential race, so his name moves from the mayoral ballot to the presidential one. Mixco is a large city beside the capital.
In plain English
Creo is short for Compromiso, Renovación y Orden, the Guatemalan party that chose Bran. The TSE is the Supreme Electoral Tribunal, the body that runs elections and registers candidates.
Parlacen is the Central American Parliament, a regional assembly.
What He Promises
Bran said: “I offer you management experience and results that can be measured.” He also pledged: “From the first day I will wage war on crime.”
These are campaign pledges, not government policy. His platform puts roads first and security second.
He would deploy the entire Army to the streets and dismantle criminal structures that hurt small merchants. He would also ask Nayib Bukele, the president of El Salvador, to help send Guatemala’s most dangerous criminals to a maximum-security prison.
What Happens Next
Bran hopes the TSE registers his candidacy in January 2027. Candidates must hold a clearance, called a finiquito, from the Comptroller General of Accounts, the state audit office.
Bran says he obtains that clearance “every week just in case”. The TSE’s preliminary calendar sets the call for elections on 22 January 2027 and campaigning from 29 March.
The first round would be on Sunday 27 June 2027, with a possible runoff on Sunday 22 August 2027. These dates are provisional and depend on the formal decree.
The winner will succeed President Bernardo Arévalo. Arévalo’s term ends in January 2028.
What Is Not Known
Vote or delegate counts at the assembly were not reported. The date on which Bran leaves the mayor’s office has not been reported.
We have no polling on his national support. Creo has not said how many delegates backed the ticket.
What It Means for You
Security and drug policy are where Guatemala’s next government meets Washington. Bran’s pledge to put the Army on the streets and build a maximum-security prison speaks directly to that agenda.
The US embassy has already spoken out on ties between politicians and drug trafficking, in a warning ahead of the vote that will follow this race. Voters will see how each ticket answers it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Neto Bran?
Neto Bran is the mayor of Mixco, a large city next to Guatemala City. Creo proclaimed him its presidential candidate on Sunday 8 November 2026.
When is Guatemala’s next presidential election?
The preliminary calendar sets the first round for Sunday 27 June 2027 and a possible runoff for Sunday 22 August 2027. The dates are provisional until the formal decree.
Is Bran officially a candidate yet?
Not yet. The TSE must register his candidacy, which he hopes happens in January 2027, and he needs a clearance from the Comptroller General of Accounts.
Sources: Creo national assembly, 8 November 2026; Tribunal Supremo Electoral (TSE) preliminary electoral calendar, https://www.tse.gob.gt; Contraloría General de Cuentas clearance rules.
This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated AI newsroom. Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Publisher and Editor-in-Chief. How we use AI · Report an error