Political newcomer leads poll in Guatemala presidential race

Businessman and political newcomer Carlos Pineda is the favorite of voters ahead of Guatemala’s June 25 presidential election, according to a poll released Tuesday (2).

Voters will choose a successor to President Alejandro Giammattei, whose term ends in January 2024.

The Prensa Libre poll found Pineda supported by 23.1% of respondents, followed by former first lady Sandra Torres at 19.5%, veteran diplomat Edmond Mulet at 10.1%, and Zury Rios, daughter of the late dictator Efrain Rios Montt, at 9.2%.

The poll surveyed 1,202 voters between April 14 and April 23 to choose among 23 presidential candidates. The margin of error was 2.8%.

Giammattei is a conservative who has been heavily criticized for his government’s repression of judges, prosecutors, journalists, and activists – many of whom now live in exile.

Pineda is running for president for the first time, while Torres has run several times and Mulet once.

If no candidate achieves a majority on June 25, the winner will be determined in a runoff election on August 20.

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