Here, the ISP translates and republishes a report on the recent landslide election in Guatemala of the reformist candidate Bernardo Arévalo. This article appeared first on the independent Guatemalan news site Divergentes. Correspondencia de Prensa republished it.
The headline on the front page of the “Diario El Imparcial” in December 1944 read: “Arévalo won resoundingly.” The cover was seen again on August 20th in the media in Guatemala, 79 years later, after the overwhelming victory of Bernardo Arévalo, son of former president Juan José Arévalo.
Bernardo Arévalo and the Movimiento Semilla (Seed Movement) have taken a path that no one expected. In the first round of elections, they barely registered in the polls, and without much fanfare, they ended up in second place on the night of June 25, as they catalyzed Guatemalans’ accumulated discontent. It was a surprise that inspired ordinary people and annoyed the powerful in the so-called “Alliance of the Corrupt” (Pacto de corruptos).
As a new factor in Guatemalan politics, insisting on transparency and holding the elite accountable, and after resisting—for now—the Public Ministry’s judicial attacks, Arévalo has won the presidency with 58.8 percent of the vote. Sort of like a little secular David cornering the Goliath of corruption at the ballot box. An academic turned politician who has rekindled hope in democracy in his country, but also in the other nations to Guatemala’s south, where dictatorships and authoritarianism suffocate those hopes.
The right-wing candidate of the National Unity of Hope (UNE), Sandra Torres, barely reached 36.49 percent when more than 95 percent of the ballots had been counted. That is to say that the polls that missed him in the first round, called the result more accurately in the second round: Arévalo ended up with a 22-percentage point victory over Torres.
The Supreme Electoral Court (TSE) announced the first results at around eight o’clock at night, when the trend was already irreversible. More than 4 million votes were cast on a day marked by almost 56 percent abstention. Since the counting began at the polling stations, and it was broadcast on national television, the constant drumbeat was, vote after vote for “Seed, Seed, Seed, Seed.”
Arévalo received 2,414,246 votes to Torres 1,499,589. That is a difference of 913,665 votes with a small amount left to count. The UNE camp went dark. The defeated candidate Torres canceled a previously scheduled press conference.
President Alejandro Giammattei congratulated Arévalo almost immediately by tweet: “I congratulate Guatemalans for carrying out #EleccionesGT2023 in peace, with few isolated incidents. I also congratulate Bernardo Arévalo and extend the invitation to start the ordered Transition, the day after the results are made official,” he wrote. In addition, Arévalo himself said that Giammattei called him to discuss a transition that will begin the day after the TSE provides the official results.
“The people of Guatemala said: Enough to so much corruption!” said Arévalo, who together with Karin Herrera, the elected vice president, promised to comply with a government plan that addresses the structural problems affecting the population, especially youth.
A presidency hanging in the air
Arévalo, who identifies himself as a social democrat, is the son of Juan José Arévalo de León Bermejo, who between 1945 and 1951 had one of the most efficient governments in the country’s history, with the creation of Social Security and the encouragement of free expression.
“I am not my father,” said Arévalo de León on Wednesday at the closing of his campaign. “But I walk the same path that he built, and we are going to walk it together as a people. I have the same desire as he and the revolutionaries of 1944 [had]”, said the academic, who has decided that his main fight after taking office will be against corruption, without setting aside other key priorities, such as fighting malnutrition and improving public health.
Arévalo’s presidency is still at risk because the Public Ministry, whose leadership is sanctioned by the United States, has executed several attempts since July 12 to suspend the Seed Movement with a series of criminal investigations. For now, prosecutor Rafael Curruchiche [prosecutor in the Public Ministry who even the U.S. State Department accuses of covering up official corruption], the main persecutor of the Seed Movement, has not ruled on Arévalo’s triumph. However, he had already announced that after August 20, arrests could be made against party members. Political analysts do not rule out strong measures to prevent Arévalo from being sworn in next January. Therefore, the seed that has grown in Guatemala could be spoiled by the system that has weakened democracy.
“We know that there is an ongoing political persecution that happens in the Prosecutor’s Office. We would like to think that the overwhelming nature of this victory will be evident and that the people of Guatemala have spoken (…) and we are calm because we are in front of you due to the overwhelming decision of the people of Guatemala,” Arévalo said at his first press conference as president.
Jubilation, crying, shouting
Outside the Hotel Las Américas in zone 13 of Guatemala City, a group of citizens gathered to celebrate the victory, while they waited for the president-elect to give his first remarks to the Guatemalan people. “I am happy, not for Semilla but for Guatemala, and now it is up to the institutions to respect the decision of the people and democracy. There will be many conflicts, attempts by the Public Ministry and Curruchiche to disqualify the ticket, but we hope that they will take office in January,” said Josué, a young man who came to celebrate.
Marilyn, who also joined the celebration, said “I have hope because we don’t have a Sandra or a (Alejandro) Giammattei for president. These elections are thanks to young people, those of us who educated ourselves, those of us who educated the elderly. We made this possible”.
Earlier, inside the hotel, the Seed Movement closest collaborators—especially young people—exploded with joy. “We did it!” (“¡Sí se pudo!), they chanted when they saw Arévalo in the hallway. Immediately, his nickname “Uncle Bernie” became, for the first time, “Mr. President.”
The streets of Guatemala City, cooled by a persistent wind this Sunday, erupted when the TSE declared Arévalo’s victory. Drivers honked their horns in a sign of victory. Joy was contagious, motivating those who believe in democracy in this region given to tyrannies. The path along which Arévalo and the Seed Movement came without anyone noticing has already been traveled. But now another uncertain path leading to the presidential palace is opening up for them, from where the pressures to compromise and opportunities to challenge the system awaits them.
Jennifer Avila
