Bernardo Arévalo faces huge challenges after finally being sworn in as Guatemala’s president
11 months, 1 week ago

Bernardo Arévalo faces huge challenges after finally being sworn in as Guatemala’s president

LA Times  

Army Gen. Henry Saenz salutes new Guatemalan President Bernardo Arévalo to recognize him as the army’s commander and chief during a ceremony at Constitution square in Guatemala City on Monday. Guatemala’s new president, Bernardo Arévalo, was left with huge challenges Monday after he was finally sworn into office, including his party’s lack of recognition in a Congress where he would not have a majority anyway. In his inauguration speech, Arévalo quickly acknowledged the country’s large Indigenous population, citing “historic debts. A progressive academic-turned-politician and son of a Guatemalan president credited with implementing key social reforms in the mid-20th century, Arévalo made confronting Guatemala’s entrenched corruption his main campaign pledge.

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History of this topic

Guatemalan President Bernardo Arévalo says he found a ‘semi-destroyed country’ on taking office
6 months ago

Guatemalan President Bernardo Arévalo says he found a ‘semi-destroyed country’ on taking office

Associated Press  

GUATEMALA CITY — Guatemala President Bernardo Arévalo says opposition in the Congress and the Attorney General’s Office have made it difficult to implement the change he seeks for the Central American nation which he found “semi-destroyed” when he took office almost six months ago. The politician from the progressive Seed Movement party was elected in August after voters angry at …

Vice President Harris and Guatemalan leader Arévalo discuss immigration
8 months, 4 weeks ago

Vice President Harris and Guatemalan leader Arévalo discuss immigration

LA Times  

Guatemalan President Bernardo Arévalo, left, greets U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris welcomed Bernardo Arévalo, the newly elected president of Guatemala, to the White House on Monday to praise his battle against corruption and promote their work on stemming migration from Central America. “Your leadership can help rebuild the Guatemalan people’s trust in their institutions, and give them a sense of …

Mayorkas meets with Guatemalan leader Arévalo following House impeachment over immigration
10 months ago

Mayorkas meets with Guatemalan leader Arévalo following House impeachment over immigration

Associated Press  

MEXICO CITY — U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas met Saturday with newly elected Guatemalan President Bernardo Arévalo and discussed regional migration, security and the economy in the Central American nation, they said. The meeting at the Munich Security Conference came days after the Republican-controlled U.S. House of Representatives voted to impeach Mayorkas for the administration’s handling of migrants …

Mayorkas meets with Guatemalan leader Arévalo following House impeachment over immigration
10 months, 1 week ago

Mayorkas meets with Guatemalan leader Arévalo following House impeachment over immigration

LA Times  

Guatemalan President Bernardo Arévalo, seen during the country’s runoff election in August, discussed regional migration issues and more with U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas met Saturday with new Guatemalan President Bernardo Arévalo and discussed regional migration, security and the economy in the Central American nation, they said. The meeting during the Munich Security Conference came days after the …

Guatemala’s new president appeals for society’s help to overcome entrenched powers
10 months, 3 weeks ago

Guatemala’s new president appeals for society’s help to overcome entrenched powers

Associated Press  

GUATEMALA CITY — President Bernardo Arévalo said Thursday that with his political party suspended, little support in congress and an attorney general in hot pursuit, he will appeal to the Guatemalan people to help him overcome the entrenched old guard and achieve the change he campaigned on. Sanctioned by the U.S. government for allegedly undermining Guatemala’s democracy, Porras has used …

U.S. bars ex-Guatemala president from entry, three days after he left office
11 months, 1 week ago

U.S. bars ex-Guatemala president from entry, three days after he left office

LA Times  

The State Department barred former Guatemalan President Alejandro Giammattei from entry into the U.S., citing “significant corruption.” The U.S. State Department barred former Guatemalan President Alejandro Giammattei from entry into the United States on Wednesday — three days after he left office — citing “significant corruption.” The Biden administration had become increasingly critical of Giammattei’s administration as Guatemalan prosecutors pursued …

Bernardo Arévalo faces huge challenges after finally being sworn in as Guatemala’s president
11 months, 1 week ago

Bernardo Arévalo faces huge challenges after finally being sworn in as Guatemala’s president

Associated Press  

GUATEMALA CITY — Guatemala’s new president, Bernardo Arévalo, was left with huge challenges Monday after he was finally sworn into office, including his party’s lack of recognition in a Congress where he would not have a majority anyway. In his inauguration speech, Arévalo quickly acknowledged the country’s large Indigenous population, citing “historic debts. “There cannot be democracy without social justice, …

Bernardo Arévalo sworn in as Guatemala's President despite months of efforts to derail inauguration
11 months, 1 week ago

Bernardo Arévalo sworn in as Guatemala's President despite months of efforts to derail inauguration

The Hindu  

Bernardo Arévalo was sworn in as Guatemala’s President on January 15 minutes after midnight despite months of efforts to derail his inauguration, including foot-dragging and rising tensions right up until the transfer of power. But nothing has been straightforward since with Attorney General Consuelo Porras and the establishment forces observers say she represents throwing one legal challenge after another at …

‘A new spring’: Guatemala’s Arevalo becomes president after Congress delays
11 months, 1 week ago

‘A new spring’: Guatemala’s Arevalo becomes president after Congress delays

Al Jazeera  

Guatemala City, Guatemala – Growing up, Joaquina Perez says her mother always told her that Juan Jose Arevalo was the country’s best president, as he ushered in progressive reforms into the Central American country between 1945 and 1950. “We are happy because we have high hopes with Arevalo,” Perez told Al Jazeera in Guatemala City’s Central Plaza. “We saw an …

Presidency beckons for Arevalo in Guatemala
11 months, 1 week ago

Presidency beckons for Arevalo in Guatemala

The Hindu  

Bernardo Arevalo has survived months of judicial machinations to stop his inauguration on Sunday as Guatemala’s new President — the target, according to himself and observers, of a corrupt elite desperate to cling to power. Since his surprise victory in elections last August, political outsider Mr. Arevalo has had to overcome a string of obstacles placed in his way by …

As Arevalo inauguration approaches, Guatemalans express cautious optimism
11 months, 1 week ago

As Arevalo inauguration approaches, Guatemalans express cautious optimism

Al Jazeera  

Attacks against President-elect Bernardo Arevalo have fuelled fears of election interference ahead of his swearing-in. In December, prosecutors went so far as to openly question whether to annul the 2023 election results — despite assurances from the country’s election authority that the tally was “unalterable”. In the week ahead of his inauguration, Al Jazeera spoke to residents in Guatemala City …

International bodies reject moves to block Guatemala president-elect from taking office
1 year ago

International bodies reject moves to block Guatemala president-elect from taking office

Associated Press  

GUATEMALA CITY — International and regional leaders have rejected the latest attempt by Guatemalan prosecutors to prevent progressive President-elect Bernardo Arévalo from taking office on Jan. 14. “Friday’s announcements, aimed at nullifying the outcome of the general elections and questioning the constitution and existence of the Movimiento Semilla party, are extremely disturbing,” U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk …

Guatemala prosecutors threaten to annul victory of President-elect Arevalo
1 year ago

Guatemala prosecutors threaten to annul victory of President-elect Arevalo

Al Jazeera  

Guatemala’s Supreme Electoral Tribunal has declared the results of this year’s presidential race “unalterable” after public prosecutors openly questioned whether to annul the vote. The prosecutors’ statements sparked a domestic and international firestorm, marking what critics consider the latest — and most directly stated — effort to overturn President-elect Bernardo Arevalo’s election victory. “The attempt to annul this year’s general …

Prosecutors in Guatemala ask court to lift president-elect’s immunity
1 year ago

Prosecutors in Guatemala ask court to lift president-elect’s immunity

LA Times  

President-elect Bernardo Arévalo leads a march in Guatemala City on Thursday in protest of government interference in the election he won in August. Prosecutors in Guatemala on Friday asked a court to strip President-elect Bernardo Arévalo of his immunity, saying there could be enough irregularities to annul the election results, a move that the Organization of American States called part …

The Take: In Guatemala, will a new presidency be ended before it begins?
1 year, 1 month ago

The Take: In Guatemala, will a new presidency be ended before it begins?

Al Jazeera  

Bernardo Arevalo’s election victory has been overshadowed by years of political corruption. But now, his supporters say Guatemala’s ruling class is trying to prevent Arevalo from taking office in January. In this episode: John Holman, Al Jazeera correspondent Jose Carlos Zamora, journalist Episode credits: This episode was produced by Fahrinisa Campana, Sarí el-Khalili and our host Malika Bilal. Alexandra Locke …

Guatemala’s president-elect is hopeful about assuming office despite obstacles
1 year, 1 month ago

Guatemala’s president-elect is hopeful about assuming office despite obstacles

LA Times  

Bernardo Arévalo won Guatemala’s presidential runoff election in August, but his battle to become president hasn’t let up. Despite ongoing hostility toward his ascendance, “the inauguration on Jan. 14 is inevitable,” Arévalo said last week during a visit to Washington, where he met with Biden administration officials and members of the U.S. Congress and the Guatemalan diaspora. A center-left politician, …

Guatemalans have taken to the streets. All they want: For their president-elect to take office
1 year, 2 months ago

Guatemalans have taken to the streets. All they want: For their president-elect to take office

LA Times  

Before Guatemala’s presidential election, candidate Bernardo Arévalo didn’t think he had much of a chance. Guatemala’s President-elect Bernardo Arévalo was “one of the serious ones” in high school, according to a former classmate. Arévalo always remained “extremely calm” and “would never fall into a person’s reaction,” said Renée Lariviere, Interpeace’s senior director of programs. Chipi Villatoro, who had played music …

Indigenous leader of Guatemalan protests says they are defending democracy after election
1 year, 2 months ago

Indigenous leader of Guatemalan protests says they are defending democracy after election

Associated Press  

GUATEMALA CITY — One of the leaders of the nationwide protests against efforts to undermine Guatemala’s elections that have paralyzed much of the country’s commerce for nearly two weeks is a young one-time law student who now heads up one of the country’s most important Indigenous organizations. While Guatemala President Alejandro Giammattei tries to draw President-elect Bernardo Arévalo into a …

Indigenous leader of Guatemalan protests says demonstrators are defending democracy after election
1 year, 2 months ago

Indigenous leader of Guatemalan protests says demonstrators are defending democracy after election

LA Times  

One of the leaders of the nationwide protests against efforts to undermine Guatemala’s elections that have paralyzed much of the country’s commerce for nearly two weeks is a young onetime law student who now heads up one of the country’s most important Indigenous organizations. While Guatemala President Alejandro Giammattei tries to draw President-elect Bernardo Arévalo into a dialogue aimed at …

Guatemala’s attorney general asks authorities to act against pro-democracy protests
1 year, 2 months ago

Guatemala’s attorney general asks authorities to act against pro-democracy protests

Associated Press  

GUATEMALA CITY — Guatemala’s attorney general on Monday called for the government to act against largely peaceful protesters, who have taken to the streets for weeks demanding her resignation for what they say are clear attempts to undermine their nation’s democracy. Protests broke out in Guatemala two weeks ago following one of the most tumultuous elections in the country’s recent …

Guatemalans rally on behalf of president-elect, displaying a will to defend democracy
1 year, 3 months ago

Guatemalans rally on behalf of president-elect, displaying a will to defend democracy

LA Times  

Protests by thousands of Guatemalans this week supporting President-elect Bernardo Arévalo suggest that the efforts by some officials to derail his presidency have awakened a new will among many citizens to defend democracy. Even as recently as the weeks before this year’s election, only 48% of those surveyed said democracy was the best form of government, putting Guatemala last in …

Indigenous supporters march to defend Guatemala’s president-elect amid vote fraud allegations
1 year, 3 months ago

Indigenous supporters march to defend Guatemala’s president-elect amid vote fraud allegations

Associated Press  

GUATEMALA CITY — Thousands of indigenous supporters protested in Guatemala City on Monday to defend Guatemala’s president-elect as government prosecutors seek to ban his political party. Arévalo won the Aug. 20 presidential runoff in a landslide, but prosecutors have continued pursuing multiple investigations related to the registration of Arévalo’s Seed Movement party, and alleged fraud in the election. The attorney …

Guatemala’s president-elect says he’s ready to call people onto the streets
1 year, 3 months ago

Guatemala’s president-elect says he’s ready to call people onto the streets

LA Times  

Guatemalan President-elect Bernardo Arévalo said he has tried his own legal maneuvers to stop those who want to keep him from power, but now it’s necessary for the people to come out to the streets to support him. Since his landslide victory, the attorney general’s office has continued pursuing multiple investigations related to the registration of Arévalo’s Seed Movement party, …

Guatemala’s president-elect says he’s ready to call people onto the streets
1 year, 3 months ago

Guatemala’s president-elect says he’s ready to call people onto the streets

Associated Press  

GUATEMALA CITY — President-elect Bernardo Arévalo plans to call Guatemalans into the streets next week to protest efforts to derail his presidency before he can take office, he said Friday in an interview with The Associated Press. Since his landslide victory, the attorney general’s office has continued pursuing multiple investigations related to the registration of Arévalo’s Seed Movement party, and …

OAS says legal actions in Guatemala appear aimed at keeping president-elect from taking power
1 year, 3 months ago

OAS says legal actions in Guatemala appear aimed at keeping president-elect from taking power

Associated Press  

GUATEMALA CITY — The head of the Organization of American States’ election observation mission said Friday that the actions taken by Guatemala’s justice system against the Seed Movement party of President-elect Bernardo Arévalo appear to be aimed at preventing him from taking power. But in summarizing the various legal actions taken by the Attorney General’s Office against the Seed Movement, …

Guatemala’s president-elect faces legal challenges that seek to weaken him. Here’s what’s happening
1 year, 3 months ago

Guatemala’s president-elect faces legal challenges that seek to weaken him. Here’s what’s happening

Associated Press  

GUATEMALA CITY — Guatemala’s Aug. 20 presidential election has been bogged down in court and legal challenges despite the fact the results were clear: Progressive candidate Bernardo Arévalo won about 61% of the vote to conservative Sandra Torres’ 39%. And the attorney general’s office raided the headquarters of the country’s electoral authority hours after it certified the results of the …

Guatemala body certifies Arevalo victory, hours after party suspended
1 year, 3 months ago

Guatemala body certifies Arevalo victory, hours after party suspended

Al Jazeera  

The suspension plunged the centre-left politician’s presidency into uncertainty even before it’s officially begun. Guatemala’s top electoral tribunal has declared Bernardo Arevalo the winner of the country’s presidential elections but his presidency was plunged into uncertainty even before it had officially begun after another government body suspended his Seed Movement party. Officials from the Supreme Electoral Tribunal on Monday confirmed …

Guatemalan president calls for transition of power to anti-corruption crusader Arévalo
1 year, 3 months ago

Guatemalan president calls for transition of power to anti-corruption crusader Arévalo

LA Times  

Guatemalan President Alejandro Giammattei called Tuesday for a democratic transition of power to anti-corruption campaigner and president-elect Bernardo Arévalo and his Seed Movement party, which have faced waves of legal attacks in attempts to invalidate his rise to power. Hours before the country’s Supreme Electoral Tribunal certified late Monday that Arévalo won this month’s presidential election, another government body — …

Guatemala progressive’s presidential victory certified, but his party is suspended
1 year, 3 months ago

Guatemala progressive’s presidential victory certified, but his party is suspended

Associated Press  

GUATEMALA CITY — Progressive candidate Bernardo Arévalo was confirmed the winner of Guatemala’s presidential election by the country’s Supreme Electoral Tribunal on Monday, but the same day another government body ordered his political party suspended. Arévalo appears certain to take office as president on Jan. 14, but it was not clear whether his Seed Movement lawmakers would be able to …

Guatemala progressive’s presidential victory certified, but his party is suspended
1 year, 3 months ago

Guatemala progressive’s presidential victory certified, but his party is suspended

LA Times  

The party of Bernardo Arévalo, the winner of Guatemala’s presidential election, has been suspended by the country’s electoral registry. Guatemala’s top electoral tribunal declared progressive Bernardo Arévalo the winner of the country’s presidential election on Monday, but the prospect of him taking office on Jan. 14 was uncertain after another government body suspended all activities by his Seed Movement party. …

Opinion: Guatemala chose a new pro-reform president. Can he stem corruption and migration?
1 year, 3 months ago

Opinion: Guatemala chose a new pro-reform president. Can he stem corruption and migration?

LA Times  

Bernardo Arévalo, a 64-year-old sociologist and reformer, did the seemingly impossible this week. Arévalo’s landslide victory — delivered by young and middle-class voters fed up with endless government dysfunction — is a watershed for Central America’s most populous nation. Guatemalans still remember his father, the late President Juan José Arévalo, for having ushered in a “democratic spring” before a 1954 …

Candidate who lost Guatemala’s presidential election files complaint alleging voter fraud
1 year, 3 months ago

Candidate who lost Guatemala’s presidential election files complaint alleging voter fraud

LA Times  

Supporters of presidential candidate Bernardo Arévalo celebrate in Guatemala City after preliminary results showed him the victor in a runoff election on Aug. 20. The party of former first lady Sandra Torres, who lost Guatemala’s presidential election, has filed a complaint alleging fraud in the way the votes were counted. Politics Biden administration warns Guatemala against rejecting democracy in presidential …

What challenges lie ahead for Guatemala’s President-elect Arevalo?
1 year, 3 months ago

What challenges lie ahead for Guatemala’s President-elect Arevalo?

Al Jazeera  

The conservative National Unity of Peace party has filed a complaint alleging inconsistencies in the August 20 election. “But he faces a great challenge.” Underdog turned frontrunner When he is sworn into office on January 14, Arevalo will become Guatemala’s first progressive president in seven decades, breaking a streak of right-wing governments. “Arevalo’s victory was a referendum on the ruling …

Allies say Guatemala election winner is a highly qualified peacebuilder, but opponent’s still silent
1 year, 4 months ago

Allies say Guatemala election winner is a highly qualified peacebuilder, but opponent’s still silent

Associated Press  

GUATEMALA CITY — Bernardo Arévalo’s experience in peacebuilding and diplomacy eminently qualify him to lead Guatemala as the conflict-riven country’s next president, those who know him say. Arévalo studied sociology and anthropology abroad in Israel and the Netherlands, served as Guatemala’s ambassador to Spain, and for years worked in Geneva for the nongovernmental organization Interpeace. In their only debate, she …

Guatemala elects progressive Arévalo as President but there are legal moves to block him from office
1 year, 4 months ago

Guatemala elects progressive Arévalo as President but there are legal moves to block him from office

The Hindu  

A progressive from outside Guatemala’s power structure was resoundingly elected the country’s next president in a reprimand to the governing elite over widespread allegations of corruption. Despite preliminary results Sunday showing a potential landslide for anti-corruption crusader Bernardo Arévalo, the attention immediately turned to whether he would be allowed to assume power as the Attorney General's Office attempts to suspend …

Guatemala’s pick of independent anti-corruption progressive as president may face challenge
1 year, 4 months ago

Guatemala’s pick of independent anti-corruption progressive as president may face challenge

Associated Press  

GUATEMALA CITY — Guatemalans overwhelmingly picked an independent progressive to be the country’s next president but his opponent remained silent Monday, leaving open the possibility of a challenge to landslide results that resoundingly rejected the country’s elite. “We know that there is a political persecution underway that is being carried out through the institutions and prosecutor’s offices and judges that …

Guatemala’s pick of independent anti-corruption progressive as president may face challenge
1 year, 4 months ago

Guatemala’s pick of independent anti-corruption progressive as president may face challenge

LA Times  

Supporters of Bernardo Arévalo celebrate in Guatemala City after preliminary results showed him the victor in a presidential runoff election. I applaud Dr. Arévalo for his commitment to root out corruption at all levels in the Guatemalan government and look forward to our next meeting to further discuss our shared goals.” Arévalo said that outgoing President Alejandro Giammattei had also …

Arevalo wins Guatemala presidency in landslide amid hopes for change
1 year, 4 months ago

Arevalo wins Guatemala presidency in landslide amid hopes for change

Al Jazeera  

Anti-corruption campaigner promises to tackle widespread corruption and violence that has fuelled migration to the US. Anti-corruption crusader Bernardo Arevalo has scored a landslide victory in Guatemala’s presidential election, after voters angry at successive leaders’ failure to tackle widespread corruption made a decisive choice for change. With 98 percent of ballots counted, Arevalo had 58 percent of votes, with his …

Calls for smooth transition as Arevalo wins Guatemala presidential election
1 year, 4 months ago

Calls for smooth transition as Arevalo wins Guatemala presidential election

Al Jazeera  

Regional and international leaders have hailed the victory of left-wing anti-corruption candidate Bernardo Arevalo in Guatemala’s presidential run-off, while urging a smooth transfer of power. Arevalo, a 64-year-old former diplomat and son of Guatemala’s first democratically elected president, won 58 percent of the vote during Sunday’s polls, trouncing former First Lady Sandra Torres at 37 percent, according to preliminary results. …

Guatemalans head to polls in run-off presidential election
1 year, 4 months ago

Guatemalans head to polls in run-off presidential election

Al Jazeera  

Guatemalans are casting their votes in a presidential run-off election that many hope will reverse democratic backsliding under recent administrations. Recent polls have predicted that Bernardo Arevalo, a progressive candidate running on an anti-corruption platform, will defeat establishment figure and former First Lady Sandra Torres. “I would like Arevalo to win because he is not the same,” Veronica Campos, a …

Guatemalans to choose between political veteran, surprise outsider in presidential runoff
1 year, 4 months ago

Guatemalans to choose between political veteran, surprise outsider in presidential runoff

Associated Press  

GUATEMALA CITY — For much of Guatemala’s troubled electoral campaign, authorities seemed determined to limit voters’ options to a range of presidential hopefuls unlikely to shake up a corrupt political system, keeping several candidates seen as threats off the ballot. The man leading polls a month before the first round election in June was kept off the ballot, and three-time …

Guatemala presidential candidate rushes to expand base beyond urban youth
1 year, 4 months ago

Guatemala presidential candidate rushes to expand base beyond urban youth

Associated Press  

SANTA MARIA DE JESUS, Guatemala — Presidential candidate Bernardo Arévalo stood before a few hundred residents of this small Indigenous community on the slopes of the Agua Volcano and told them they could be the seeds of a brighter, more corruption-free spring in Guatemala. But it also alludes to Guatemala’s “democratic spring,” considered a more inclusive period in the country’s …

Bernardo Arévalo, Guatemala’s electoral surprise, makes corruption fight top priority
1 year, 5 months ago

Bernardo Arévalo, Guatemala’s electoral surprise, makes corruption fight top priority

Associated Press  

GUATEMALA CITY — Bernardo Arévalo, the surprise candidate in the first round of voting in Guatemala, says the choice in the country’s Aug. 20 presidential runoff is a clear one: Continue living under a corrupt system with his rival or rebuild the country’s democracy with him. Semilla’s presidential candidate Bernardo Arevalo and former first lady Sandra Torres of the UNE …

Guatemalan presidential frontrunners set for run-off
1 year, 5 months ago

Guatemalan presidential frontrunners set for run-off

Al Jazeera  

Sandra Torres and Bernardo Arevalo emerge as top two contenders, electoral commission says, as August run-off expected. The two frontrunners in Guatemala’s presidential elections will face a run-off vote, the electoral commission has said, after no candidate in the divisive contest secured the 50 percent needed to win the election outright at the weekend. The country’s electoral commission said on …

Peru opposition to lead Congress in setback for president-elect
3 years, 4 months ago

Peru opposition to lead Congress in setback for president-elect

Al Jazeera  

On the eve of Pedro Castillo’s inauguration, he and his Free Peru party are dealt a political blow. An opposition-led alliance won a vote on Monday to lead Peru’s Congress, a setback for socialist President-elect Pedro Castillo on the eve of his inauguration and a sign of challenges ahead to his plans to reform the constitution and increase mining taxes. …

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