Arévalo wins by landslide in Guatemala
Aug. 21, 2023
Bernardo Arévalo won Guatemala’s presidency by a landslide yesterday, ushering in a new era in a country characterized by democratic backsliding and attacks against critical voices in recent years. Guatemalans spontaneously celebrated results on the streets last night, reports Soy 502.
Arévalo obtained 58% of votes, against Sandra Torres’ 37% in the second round of voting. There have been fears that Guatemala’s strong political establishment would seek to thwart Arévalo’s victory, as it had after he won a surprise second-place finish in the June election. But President Alejandro Giammattei congratulated Arévalo, yesterday, and extended an invitation to organize an “orderly” transition of power, reports the New York Times.
Arévalo said yesterday that a priority of his government would be to stop “political persecution against different types of government employees, and people focusing on corruption, human rights and the environment.”
The vote is an important message for change in Guatemala. But Arévalo will face significant obstacles. Analysts expect attacks from the judiciary and other political parties, reports Reuters.
An investigation by the Attorney General’s office into the legal standing of Arévalo’s Semilla Movement is a potential immediate challenge. If the party’s legal standing is cancelled, it could either weaken Arévalo’s political agenda, or provide a platform from which to challenge his victory altogether, reports the Associated Press.
Movimiento Semilla is also being investigated for alleged violations in vote-counting in the first round, reports the Washington Post. Guatemalan prosecutor Rafael Curruchiche said mass arrests could occur after the voting ended.
Arévalo received congratulations from presidents around Latin America, including Brazil, Argentina, Venezuela, El Salvador and Mexico. (Prensa Libre and Prensa Libre)
(See also Guardian.)
Ecuador heads to second-round
Ecuador’s presidential race will head to a runoff election between establishment leftist Luisa González and political outsider Daniel Noboa, after a first round of voting yesterday in unprecedented snap general elections. The second round will take place on Oct. 15.
González, a protege of former President Rafael Correa, obtained 33%, while businessman newcomer Noboa obtained nearly 24%. His strong showing was a surprise: he was polling in single digits a few weeks ago.
Ecuador is in the throes of a wave of criminal violence — the candidate for the third-place party in yesterday’s election, Fernando Villavicencio, was assassinated at a campaign event earlier this month — and security is a top voter concern.
Voting took place under the watch of 100,000 police officers and soldiers deployed across Ecuador, which is under a state of emergency declared after Villavicencio’s killing. Sunday vote took place without any major incidents of violence reported. (Associated Press, Financial Times)
Ecuador heads either to its first female president, or its youngest one, notes El Universal. The winner will only govern for less than a year and a half, completing the unfinished term of outgoing president Guillermo Lasso who called the snap election in May to stave off impeachment, reports the Guardian.
González’s campaign appealed to voter nostalgia for conditions under the Correa administration, before the current security crisis and when a commodities boom fueled social policies that lifted millions out of poverty.
Noboa, on the other hand, has positioned his candidacy as a chance to defeat Correismo. (Financial Times)
Noboa is a 35-year-old banana empire heir, who was elected to Congress two years ago. His “campaign seemed to take off only a week ago, when he impressed many Ecuadoreans with his debate performance,” reports the New York Times. Noboa “appealed to undecided voters who were tired of the fierce political battle that has long consumed Ecuadoran elections — between supporters and opponents of Correa,” according to the Washington Post.
Correa's Citizens' Revolution party was leading the count for seats in the national assembly, with nearly 40%. (El Universal)
(See also Reuters and El País)
Ecuadoreans reject Amazon oil drilling
Ecuadorean voters against drilling for oil in Yasuní National Park. The referendum question result will force the country’s state oil company to cease operations in the Yasuní, protecting an Amazon biodiversity hotspot that is home to two uncontacted tribes. (See Friday’s post.)
The result is a significant blow for President Guillermo Lasso, who advocated for oil drilling.