MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Bernardo Arevalo, with total support from US, confirmed as Guatemala's next president

In the runoff, Arevalo managed to secure 60.9% of valid votes cast, against the 37.2% received by former first lady Sandra Torres, candidate of the powerful establishment that dominates Guatemala

Guatemala's Supreme Electoral Tribunal reaffirmed center-left candidate Bernardo Arevalo's victory in the strongly disputed presidential election. Arevalo's victory received strong support from the United States State Department and the Organization of American States, OAS.

 But another government body, the Citizens Registry (roll call) suspended all activities of his Movimiento Semilla, or Seed Movement party which led to confusion as to whether he would eventually be able to take office.

From Washington the State Department said that on behalf of the United States, ”we again congratulate Bernardo Arévalo on his election as the next president of Guatemala, as confirmed by the vote results certified on August 28.  We salute the people of Guatemala for making their voices heard, and we applaud the many officials and volunteers whose dedication made these elections possible“.

Furthermore the US remains concerned with continued actions by those who seek to undermine Guatemala’s democracy.  ”Such anti-democratic behavior, including efforts by the Public Ministry and other actors to suspend the President-elect’s political party and intimidate election authorities, undercuts the clear will of the Guatemalan people and is inconsistent with the principles of the Inter-American Democratic Charter.  We stand with our partners in the international community and with the Guatemalan people against these unacceptable efforts, including the use of prosecutorial powers against those who seek transparency and accountability. We look forward to working with Guatemala’s next president to further strengthen the U.S.-Guatemalan relationship and move our nations toward a better future“.

Officials from the electoral tribunal officially declared Bernardo Arevalo as the victor during a press conference. But a document from the Public Ministry surfaced in local media reports, which ordered a temporary suspension of Semilla's legal registration Irma Palencia, the head of the electoral tribunal, clarified that the cited document originated from a lower authority. 

”These are the official results, and that's what counts in Guatemala,” Tribunal magistrate Gabriel Aguilera said.

Who is Arevalo? He is the son of a former president Juan Jose Arevalo and emerged as a surprise frontrunner. The son of the exiled president was born in Uruguay, and campaigned for social development and vowed to fight corruption. 

Arevalo did not secure enough votes for a decisive win in the first round and headed towards the run off when he managed to secure 60.9% of valid votes cast, against the 37.2% received by former first lady Sandra Torres,

Arevalo and other political opponents have faced legal challenges in recent days from the powerful Guatemalan establishment that dominates the country. The Organization of American States' human rights commission had asked Guatemala to provide protection for Aravelo earlier this week, after reports emerged of an attempt to kill him.