Guatemalans began voting on Sunday in a hotly contested presidential election dominated by concerns over corruption, the exclusion of a leading candidate, and the cost of living, with the vote set to result in a second round run-off in August. She is up against more than 20 other candidates, including Edmond Mulet, a career diplomat, and Zury Rios, daughter of the late dictator Efrain Rios Montt. “That is tremendously serious.”In addition to electing the president and vice president, 9.3 million eligible voters also choose a new Congress, hundreds of mayors, and 20 members of the Central American Parliament. Polls currently predict that Torres, the ex-wife of late President Alvaro Colom (2008-2012), will likely lose a head-to-head runoff given her lack of popularity in the capital Guatemala City, home to a high percentage of the electorate. This is the 67-year-old politician’s third run for president.

Source: Bueno Aires Herald June 25, 2023 20:03 UTC