In Guatemala the virtually unknown anti-corruption crusader Bernardo Arévalo beat the odds to win Guatemala’s presidential election, a victory many hope will stop the country’s democratic backslide. Arévalo, a former academic, diplomat and the son of Guatemala’s first democratically elected president won by a substantial margin.
NPR’s Eyder Peralta says Arévalo was “the unlikeliest candidate to win,” because he had no money — “he didn’t even have billboards” — and he was “running an anti-corruption campaign in a country where the ruling class had launched a hunt for people fighting corruption.”
Thousands of Guatemalans celebrated in the streets on Sunday night, with one telling Peralta that “democracy has been defended.”
Arévalo’s rival has vowed to challenge the results in court, and Guatemala’s Justice Department has threatened to bring charges against him (which Peralta says are widely viewed as politically motivated).
Meanwhile further south in Ecuador left-wing Luisa Gonzalez, a member of the Correista party is leading in Ecuador’s presidential election overshadowed by the assassination of one of the candidates.
With nearly 80% of the votes counted, electoral officials say she has 33%, while her closest rival Daniel Noboa, a businessman, is on 24%.
The top two candidates will now go into a run-off on 15 October.
Some 100,000 police and soldiers were deployed to protect Sunday’s first round of voting.
The snap election was called after President Guillermo Lasso – a conservative former banker and chairman of the Bank of Guayaquil – dissolved parliament to avoid impeachment.
Sunday’s voting was peaceful, much to the relief of Ecuadoreans fearful of the political violence that has taken hold of the country. The sale of alcohol is forbidden during election weekends in Ecuador, and perhaps this helped to keep activities on an even keel.
With nearly 80% of the votes counted, electoral officials say Gonzalez has 33%, while her closest rival Daniel Noboa, son of a wealthy businessman, is on 24%.
The top two candidates will now go into a run-off election on 15 October.
Some 100,000 police and soldiers were deployed to protect Sunday’s first round of voting.
Sources: NPR News, BBC.
