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☆ Presidential hopeful Sandra Torres pitches experience as Guatemala seeks change
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-17 | by ( Brendan O'Boyle | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Presidential candidate Sandra Torres, of the National Unity of Hope (UNE) political party, greets supporters during a campaign rally ahead of the presidential run-off, in Guatemala City, Guatemala August 5, 2023. REUTERS/Cristina Chiquin/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsAug 17 (Reuters) - Sandra Torres is pitching her two decades as a leading figure in Guatemalan politics as she tries to woo disenchanted voters ahead of a presidential runoff on Sunday and avoid a third straight election loss. Torres, who hails from a poor town in Guatemala's Peten region, has promised to expand the social safety net if elected. But while her party's last government did reduce poverty, Torres' efforts have also drawn criticism for being "clientelistic," said Will Freeman, a fellow for Latin America studies at the Council on Foreign Relations. Torres has sought new allies as she seeks to reverse her election losses, analysts said.

Persons: Sandra Torres, Cristina Chiquin, Torres, Bernardo Arevalo, Alvaro Colom, Will Freeman, June's, Brendan O'Boyle, Rosalba O'Brien Organizations: National Unity of, REUTERS, of, Council, Foreign Relations, Gallup, Thomson Locations: Guatemala City, Guatemala, Central America's, United States, Guatemala's Peten, Arevalo

☆ Guatemalan presidential candidate Arevalo seen winning runoff with 61%, poll finds
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Anti-graft presidential candidate of the Semilla political party Bernardo Arevalo holds a campaign rally ahead of the presidential run-off, in Sumpango, Guatemala, July 16, 2023. REUTERS/Cristina Chiquin/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsGUATEMALA CITY, Aug 16 (Reuters) - Guatemalan presidential candidate Bernardo Arevalo is seen winning an August 20 runoff election backed by 61% of valid votes, followed by former first lady Sandra Torres, according to a CID Gallup poll published on Wednesday. Arevalo, an ex-diplomat who is running on an anti-corruption platform, scored a surprise second place in June's first round, finishing close behind Torres. "Our growth trajectory continues, as more of us now want change in Guatemala," the candidate said on social messaging platform X. The poll surveyed 1,819 adults face-to-face between August 4 and 13 with an estimated margin of error of plus or minus 2.3%.

Persons: Bernardo Arevalo, Cristina Chiquin, Sandra Torres, Arevalo, Torres, Sofia Menchu, Raul Cortes, Valentine Hilaire, Sarah Morland Organizations: REUTERS, GUATEMALA CITY, Gallup, Organization of American, CID, Thomson Locations: Sumpango, Guatemala, GUATEMALA, June's

☆ Guatemala elections: Troubled vote looms
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-12 | by ( Tara John | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Torres won 16% of the first-round vote in June with Arévalo coming in with 11.8% of the votes cast. “Guatemalans wanted an option on the ballot where they can vote to reject the current political system. Moises Castillo/APThis is the third presidential cycle Torres has competed in, losing in 2019 to current President Alejandro Giammattei. Guatemala currently recognizes Taiwan, and Arévalo has said he would like Guatemala to have relations with both Taipei and Beijing. Congress is set to be largely controlled by establishment parties following this year’s elections, including the outgoing president’s Vamos party and Torres’ UNE.

Persons: CNN —, Sandra Torres, Bernardo Arévalo –, Torres, Arévalo, “ Guatemalans, ” Will Freeman, backsliding, Arevalo, Cristina Chiquin, Reuters Arévalo, Rafael Curruchiche, ” Curruchiche, “, ” Freeman, Bukele, Alvaro Colom, Moises Castillo, Alejandro Giammattei, Juan José Arévalo, Freeman, Thelma Aldana, Aldana, Luis Von Ahn, Torres ’ Organizations: CNN, Council, Foreign Relations, United, Public Ministry, Reuters, Movimiento Semilla, US State Department, US, European, Unidad Nacional de la Esperanza, Getty, Duolingo, Torres ’ UNE Locations: backsliding, Guatemala, America, United Nations, Guatemala City, Spain, European Union, United Kingdom, Canada, El Salvador, Taiwan, Taipei, Beijing

☆ Guatemala president meets with OAS head, says committed to ensure elections
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/3] Guatemala President Alejandro Giammattei meets with the Organization of American States (OAS) chief Luis Almagro, as concerns escalate over alleged government interference in the upcoming presidential runoff vote, in Guatemala City, Guatemala August 1, 2023. Almagro is set to stay in the Central American country until August 4. Guatemala is scheduled to hold a presidential runoff election on Aug. 20, with anti-graft candidate Bernardo Arevalo facing off against former first lady Sandra Torres. The government guaranteed to OAS authorities it has the appropriate budget and can provide the infrastructure and security needed for electoral authorities to carry out the vote, according to a government statement on the meeting. Reporting by Sofia Menchu; Editing by Brendan O'BoyleOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Alejandro Giammattei, Luis Almagro, Read, Almagro, Bernardo Arevalo, Sandra Torres, Sofia Menchu, Brendan O'Boyle Organizations: Organization of American States, GUATEMALA CITY, Organization of American, Central American, Thomson Locations: Guatemala, Guatemala City, Presidencia, GUATEMALA

☆ Guatemala anti-graft candidate Arevalo seen winning presidential runoff -poll
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-02 | by ( Sofia Menchu | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Anti-graft presidential candidate of the Semilla political party Bernardo Arevalo holds a campaign rally ahead of the presidential run-off, in Sumpango, Guatemala, July 16, 2023. REUTERS/Cristina Chiquin/File PhotoGUATEMALA CITY, Aug 2 (Reuters) - Guatemalan presidential candidate Bernardo Arevalo is seen winning an Aug. 20 runoff election with 63% of valid votes against his rival, Sandra Torres, according to a CID Gallup poll published on Wednesday by a local think tank. Arevalo won a surprise second place in the initial round in June, finishing close behind Torres, a former first lady. CID Gallup's poll found that 54% of respondents considered Torres "corrupt" and a "liar," compared to 15% and 13%, respectively, for Arevalo. Arevalo led the poll in every age group, region, and education level.

Persons: Bernardo Arevalo, Cristina Chiquin, Sandra Torres, Arevalo, Torres, Luis Von Ahn, Sofia Menchu, Raul Cortes, Sarah Morland, Stephen Eisenhammer, Conor Humphries Organizations: REUTERS, GUATEMALA CITY, Gallup, of American, CID, Liberty and Development Foundation, Thomson Locations: Sumpango, Guatemala, GUATEMALA, Arevalo, Guatemalan

☆ Harvard professor Francesca Gino was accused of faking data. Now her million-dollar empire is crumbling — and scholars are eyeing who's next.
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-01 | by ( Kate Taylor | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +22 min

"We believe that many more Gino-authored papers contain fake data," the Data Colada professors wrote. Data Colada found that the raw data showed clear anomalies, such as a distribution infinitely more likely to be produced by a random-number generator than actual people. Soon after, Data Colada ran an article alleging that Gino tampered with data in at least one of her honesty-pledge experiments. A post on Data Colada or a tweet from Brown is like a bomb going off in the behavioral-science world. Others who attempted to build on Gino's studies are grappling with having wasted time, money, and energy.

Persons: It's, Francesca Gino, Gino, Michael Sanders, Greg Burd, —, Hugo Boss, Gino coauthoring, Swarthmore College's Bhanot, Maurice Schweitzer, Simine Vazire, Sanders, Goldman Sachs, Schweitzer, they'd, Uri Simonsohn, Joe Simmons, Leif Nelson —, Data Colada, Dan Ariely, Ariely, Chris Goodney, Harvard, Colada, Nick Brown, Brown, Jeff Lees, Lees, There's Ariely, Brian Wansink's, HBS's Amy Cuddy's, Cuddy, Amy Cuddy's, Marie Claire's, Allison Williams, Astrid Stawiarz, Marie Claire Simonsohn, Simmons, Nelson, they're, Gordon Pennycook, Pennycook, it's, Bhanot Organizations: TED, Twitter, LinkedIn, Harvard, Wharton, Swarthmore College, Harvard Business School, Alaska Airlines, King's College London, Tione, University of Trento, Sant'anna, Studies, Carnegie Mellon University, University of North, Wired, Forbes, Google, Swarthmore, University of Melbourne, Disney, Lavin Agency, Data, Duke University, who's, NBC, BuzzFeed News, Bloomberg, Getty, Privately, Higher Education, Hill, Duke, US Department of, Cornell University, New York Times Locations: Trento, Pisa, University of North Carolina, HBS, Guatemala, Boston, New York, British, Guatemalan

☆ Guatemalan presidential contender Torres visits Washington ahead of August run-off
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

GUATEMALA CITY, July 27 (Reuters) - Guatemalan presidential candidate Sandra Torres will meet with U.S. officials in Washington on Thursday, her party said, ahead of a run-off vote next month that has raised international concerns over alleged interference by authorities. Torres' National Unity of Hope (UNE) party said the former first lady of Guatemala is slated to discuss migration, trade and security with U.S. State Department representatives. Torres' rival, Bernardo Arevalo of the Semilla party, who finished second in the vote, has not said whether he also plans to visit Washington. President Joe Biden's administration has raised various concerns over Guatemala's election process, including criticizing raids by authorities last week of Semilla offices. A senior Biden administration official previously said the United States planned to host Torres and Arevalo for talks in Washington this week to show support for free and fair elections.

Persons: Sandra Torres, Torres, Bernardo Arevalo, Joe Biden's, Arevalo, Sofia Menchu, Daina Beth Solomon, Mark Porter Organizations: GUATEMALA CITY, U.S, National Unity of, U.S . State Department, The State Department, Atlantic Council, Biden, Thomson Locations: GUATEMALA, Washington, Guatemala, United States

☆ Ocomtun: Laser mapping reveals a forgotten Maya city in the jungle
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-26 | by ( Katie Hunt | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Maya civilization is best known for its pyramid temples and impressive stone structures that have been found across southern Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, Honduras and El Salvador. Pictured here are the remains of a building with a staircase in the city of Ocumtun. He’s mapped more than 20,000 square kilometers (7,722 square miles) of Central American jungle and been involved in 45 archaeological projects, including the discovery of the largest and oldest Maya temple near Tabasco, Mexico, and tens of thousands of Maya structures and settlements in the Guatemalan jungle. Unraveling OcumtunIt could take years to fully excavate Ocomtun and get a deeper understanding of the site and why it was abandoned. A stone block with a relief, reused in a stairway in the city of Ocumtun.

Persons: Juan Carlos Fernandez, Diaz, he’s, they’ve, Juan Fernandez, Jonathan Burke, ”, Fernandez, LiDAR, Ivan Šprajc —, —, Šprajc, Ivan Šprajc, ” Fernandez, Založba Rokus, Ken, Julie Jones, it’s Organizations: CNN, University of Houston, National Center, Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts, ZRC, Ocumtun, SAZU, Adria, Kreditna družba, Ars Longa, Julie Jones Charitable Foundation, Milwaukee Audubon Society Locations: Campeche, Yucatan, Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, Honduras, El Salvador, America, Ocumtun, Central American, Tabasco, Guatemalan, Kreditna družba Ljubljana

☆ OAS chief flags 'clear interference' in Guatemala election ahead of visit
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-26 | by ( Sofia Menchu | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

GUATEMALA CITY, July 26 (Reuters) - The Organization of American States (OAS) chief Luis Almagro will meet with authorities and politicians in Guatemala next week, he said on Wednesday, as concerns escalate over alleged government interference in the upcoming presidential runoff vote. The OAS, which monitored the first round, had backed the results as legitimate. "We have expressed ourselves emphatically on multiple occasions against the repeated attempts to alter the will of the people and the attacks on the electoral authorities," Almagro said in a special OAS session to discuss the election. "This is an electoral process that has suffered clear interference of internal actors that hindered its normal development," he said. Irma Palencia, the head of Guatemala's electoral court, said she has asked the OAS to continue monitoring the election.

Persons: Luis Almagro, Bernardo Arevalo, Arevalo's, Sandra Torres, Almagro, Alejandro Giammattei's, Arevalo, Torres, Irma Palencia, Sofia Menchu, Sarah Morland, Daina Beth Solomon, Jonathan Oatis, Bill Berkrot Organizations: GUATEMALA CITY, of American States, OAS, Thomson Locations: GUATEMALA, Guatemala

☆ US urges Guatemala to ensure no interference in election after raid
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

GUATEMALA CITY, July 24 (Reuters) - Senior U.S. Department of State official Brian Nichols said on Monday he had spoken with Guatemalan Foreign Minister Mario Bucaro to stress the need to hold a free and fair run-off in the Central American country's presidential election next month. Nichols said on Twitter he had highlighted the need to "proceed without interference or harassment of candidates and parties," following attempts to suspend the party of anti-graft candidate Bernardo Arevalo. The U.S. had criticized police raids on the offices of Arevalo's center-left Semilla party on Friday. A senior Biden administration official last week described the raid as representing "authoritarian practices" and a violation of democratic norms by Guatemala's public ministry. Reporting by Mexico Newsroom and Matt Spetalnick in Washington Writing by Isabel WoodfordOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Brian Nichols, Mario Bucaro, Nichols, Bernardo Arevalo, Arevalo, Sandra Torres, Matt Spetalnick, Isabel Woodford Organizations: GUATEMALA CITY, Senior U.S . Department of State, Guatemalan Foreign, Central American, Twitter, U.S, Biden, Mexico, Thomson Locations: GUATEMALA, U.S, Washington

☆ Guatemala's Arevalo slams 'corrupt' raid on his party's offices
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-21 | by ( Sofia Menchu | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] Anti-graft presidential candidate of the Semilla political party Bernardo Arevalo holds a campaign rally ahead of the presidential run-off, in Sumpango, Guatemala, July 16, 2023. REUTERS/Cristina Chiquin/File PhotoGUATEMALA CITY, July 21 (Reuters) - Guatemalan presidential candidate Bernardo Arevalo called a Friday morning police raid on his party headquarters a "corrupt" show of "political persecution" just a month before the high-stakes run-off election. Video from outside the Semilla party offices posted by local newspaper Diario La Hora showed at least a couple of dozen uniformed police officers standing guard, preventing anyone from entering or exiting the building. In a post on Twitter, Arevalo derided the raid as a "flagrant demonstration of the political persecution we have denounced." The presidential hopeful has blamed the police action on a "corrupt minority" but did not go into further detail.

Persons: Bernardo Arevalo, Cristina Chiquin, Arevalo, Alejandro Giammattei, Sandra Torres, Rafael Curruchiche, U.S . State Department's Engel, Sofia Menuchu, Valentine Hilaire, David Alire Garcia, Rosalba O'Brien Organizations: REUTERS, GUATEMALA CITY, Police, Diario La, Twitter, U.S, U.S . State, Thomson Locations: Sumpango, Guatemala, GUATEMALA, Arevalo's, Central, Arevalo, Guatemala's, U.S .

☆ US adds Central American ex-presidents, judges, lawmakers to corruption list
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-19 | by ( Raul Cortes | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Two former Salvadoran presidents - Mauricio Funes, who served from 2009 to 2014, and his successor Salvador Sanchez, whom Washington links to corruption, money laundering and embezzlement of public funds - were added to the list. Guatemala's government meanwhile rejected the accusations on Wednesday, labeling the report "used by the United States to impose its jurisdiction on people abroad, as despicable." It includes ex-officials from the government of former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernandez, who was extradited to the United States over drug trafficking links. Politicians from Honduras' opposition Liberal Party also appear, including Liberal leader Yani Rosenthal, previously convicted of money laundering in the United States. The Nicaraguan section includes all of the country's parliamentary leaders, barring its president, who Washington has already sanctioned, and several judges and directors of Nicaragua's money laundering watchdog.

Persons: Mauricio Funes, Salvador Sanchez, Funes, Sanchez, Daniel Ortega, Brian Nichols, Fredy Orellana, Bernardo Arevalo, Engel, Juan Orlando Hernandez, Yani Rosenthal, Rosenthal, Washington, Raul Cortes, Sofia Menchu, Gustavo Palencia, Nelson Renteria, Sarah Morland, Matthew Lewis Organizations: U.S . State Department, Salvadoran, Western Hemisphere, Liberal Party, Liberal, Thomson Locations: El Salvador, Honduras, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Washington, United States, Mexico City, Sofia, Guatemala City, Tegucigalpa, Nelson, San Salvador

☆ El Salvador arrests more than 100 Colombians in financial scheme
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-18 | by ( Nelson Renteria | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SAN SALVADOR, July 17 (Reuters) - Salvadoran police arrested more than a hundred Colombians for their alleged involvement in operating a microfinancing scheme that laundered money from drug running and gang activities, security officials said on Monday. The criminal group reportedly made loans, using funds obtained illegally, to individuals and small businesses with 20% interest, according to the officials. Some $20 million in money linked to drug trafficking gangs is estimated to have been sent to Colombia since 2021 under the scheme, added Delgado. Colombia's foreign ministry said it was in talks with its embassy and consulate in El Salvador over the arrests, but did not offer further comment on the accusations facing the Colombian nationals. Reporting by Nelson Renteria in San Salvador; Additional reporting by Oliver Griffin in Bogota Writing by Kylie Madry Editing by David Alire Garcia and Matthew LewisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Nayib Bukele, Rodolfo Delgado, Delgado, Bukele, Nelson Renteria, Oliver Griffin, Kylie Madry, David Alire Garcia, Matthew Lewis Organizations: SALVADOR, Salvadoran, Twitter, Colombian, Thomson Locations: Colombia, El Salvador, Guatemalan, Argentine, San Salvador, Bogota

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☆ Guatemala prosecutor defends its probe into anti-graft presidential hopeful
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

GUATEMALA CITY, July 14 (Reuters) - The Guatemalan prosecutors' office said on Friday it would continue its investigation into anti-graft party Semilla and that its actions were not meant to interfere with a presidential run-off set to take place next month. The office this week launched an investigation of Semilla, whose candidate Bernardo Arevalo, pledging to tackle entrenched corruption, took a surprise second place in the first-round vote in June. The prosecutor has alleged that Semilla committed fraud by using more than 5,000 fake signatures to register members. The prosecutor leading the investigation into Semilla, Rafael Curruchiche, said during a press conference on Friday that Guatemalans had come forward with complaints about Semilla. Curruchiche has previously targeted anti-graft campaigners and has been placed on the U.S. State Department's Engel List for "corrupt and undemocratic actors."

Persons: Semilla, Bernardo Arevalo, Rafael Curruchiche, Guatemalans, Arevalo, Sandra Torres, Torres, Curruchiche, U.S . State Department's Engel, Sofia Menchu, Kylie Madry, Sarah Kinosian, Cassandra Garrison, Rosalba O'Brien Organizations: GUATEMALA CITY, European Union, U.S, U.S . State, Thomson Locations: GUATEMALA, U.S, Semilla, U.S .

☆ Court Ruling Upends Guatemalan Election
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-13 | by ( Juan Montes | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

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Persons: Dow Jones, 5fff320b

CNN —A Guatemalan court has suspended the party of one of the candidates in next month’s presidential run-off election, raising questions over the vote. Movimiento Semilla is the party of opposition candidate Bernardo Arévalo. The FECI investigation established at least 12 deceased people registered by Movimiento Semilla, according to Curruchich. He said in the video message that the party paid a total of approximately US$22,000 in exchange for 5,000 signatures with the aim of reaching the minimum necessary to become a political party and participate in elections. “And it’s evident that it does not have any legal support.”Guatemala has struggled with corruption and poor governance.

Persons: Rafael Curruchich, Bernardo Arévalo, Sandra Torres, Arévalo, ” Organizations: CNN —, Guatemalan Public Ministry, Movimiento Semilla, Semilla, CNN Locations: United States, ” Guatemala, Central America

☆ Guatemala top court reverses ban on anti-graft presidential candidate
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-13 | by ( Sofia Menchu | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

The Constitutional Court said it had granted a provisional injunction filed by the Semilla party against a judge's order to suspend the party and seemingly kick Arevalo out of the race. Asked about the potential for U.S. sanctions on those behind the Semilla suspension, a U.S. State Department spokesperson cited sanctions already imposed on Curruchiche and Attorney General Maria Consuelo Porras but declined to say more. Arevalo told reporters earlier on Thursday he believed the lower court's move against Semilla violated a Guatemalan law preventing political party suspensions during an election. Arevalo's presidential rival Torres urged the popular vote be respected and said she was suspending her campaign in solidarity with Semilla voters. Aldana by then had a reputation as an anti-graft crusader and helped oust, prosecute and imprison conservative former President Otto Perez.

Persons: Cinthia Monterroso, Guatemala Attorney General's, Bernardo Arevalo's, Read, Bernardo Arevalo, Arevalo, Sandra Torres, Semilla, Rafael Curruchiche, U.S . State Department's Engel, General Maria Consuelo Porras, Juan Jose Arevalo, Alejandro Giammattei, Giammattei, Torres, Thelma Aldana, Otto Perez, Sofia Menchu, Dave Graham, Valentine Hilaire, Matt Spetalnick, Kylie Madry, Cassandra Garrison, Sarah Morland, Stephen Eisenhammer, Josie Kao, Lincoln Organizations: Guatemala Attorney, GUATEMALA CITY, Constitutional, European Union, U.S, U.S . State, Semilla, Washington D.C, Thomson Locations: Guatemala, Guatemala City, GUATEMALA, June's, The U.S, U.S, Canada, Britain, Chile, Norway, Mexico, U.S ., Curruchiche, Mexico City, Washington

☆ Guatemala court suspends anti-graft candidate's party
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-13 | by ( Reuters Editorial | ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

PoliticsGuatemala court suspends anti-graft candidate's partyPostedA Guatemalan court ordered the suspension of anti-graft presidential candidate Bernardo Arevalo's political party, a prosecutor said on Wednesday, threatening his place in a run-off vote and prompting U.S. warnings of a challenge to democracy. Gabe Singer reports.

Persons: Bernardo Arevalo's, Gabe Singer Locations: Guatemala

☆ Guatemala court suspends anti-graft presidential candidate's party
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-12 | by ( Sofia Menchu | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

GUATEMALA CITY, July 12 (Reuters) - A court in Guatemala suspended the party of anti-graft presidential candidate Bernardo Arevalo, a prosecutor at the Attorney General's Office said on Wednesday, throwing into question his place in a second round run-off vote. "In no way will we obey a spurious and illegal decision like the one issued by that court." Shortly after, the electoral court confirmed the first-round results, which put Arevalo into a second round. "It's something that concerns us as a court, because we know that elections are won at the polls," Irma Palencia, head of the electoral court, said when asked about the suspension. This would certainly represent an astounding new low for Guatemala," said Donald J. Planty, a former U.S. ambassador to Guatemala, about the possible suspension.

Persons: Bernardo Arevalo, Attorney General's, Arevalo, Rafael Curruchiche, Sandra Torres, Irma Palencia, Brian A, Nichols, Guatemalans, Juan Jose Arevalo, Carlos Pineda, Will Freeman, Semilla, Critics, Alejandro Giammattei, Donald J, Sofia Menchu, Valentine Hilaire, David Alire, Adriana Barrera, Cassandra Garrison, Brendan O'Boyle, Stephen Eisenhammer, Lincoln, Raju Gopalakrishnan Organizations: GUATEMALA CITY, Attorney, CNN, Twitter, U.S, Western Hemisphere Affairs, Central American, Council, Foreign Relations, Thomson Locations: GUATEMALA, Guatemala, Nicaragua, U.S

☆ OAS urges Guatemalan authorities to move forward with election process
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-08 | by ( Sofia Menchu | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

According to preliminary results, anti-graft candidate Bernando Arevalo bucked forecasts to earn 11.8% of the vote, enough to secure a spot on the upcoming ballot. He trailed only behind former first lady Sandra Torres, with 15.8% of the vote. "The Mission verified that no serious irregularities were revealed and that no significant changes were registered with respect to the preliminary results of Sunday, June 25," the OAS said in a statement. However, on Friday night, the CSJ resolved to extend the suspension of the results for 10 more days. The electoral process in the Central American country has been strongly criticized by international and national organizations due to this unprecedented suspension of the official results.

Persons: Bernando Arevalo, Sandra Torres, CSJ, Torres, Arévalo, Sofia Menchu, Anna, Catherine Brigida, Franklin Paul Organizations: GUATEMALA CITY, of American States, Guatemalan Constitutional, Central American, Franklin Paul Our, Thomson Locations: GUATEMALA, Guatemalan

Now, in their next step to consolidate power, they are trying to manipulate the national elections that are underway. In anticipation of the 2023 elections, President Alejandro Giammattei packed the courts and the electoral tribunal with loyalists. The ruling regime and its allies then enlisted these entities to distort the Constitution and tamper with election procedures to tilt the political playing field in their favor. Many fear the ruling could pave the way for additional spurious challenges that could eventually overturn the results, delay the second round or exclude Mr. Arévalo from competing altogether. The cries of fraud echo those in the United States after President Biden’s 2020 victory, although, with the entire judicial system on their side, Guatemala’s election deniers stand a better chance of pulling it off.

Persons: ”, Alejandro Giammattei, Bernardo Arévalo, Sandra Torres, Arévalo, Biden’s Organizations: National Unity of Hope, Constitutional Locations: United States

☆ Guatemala court orders presidential ballot review, opposition cries foul
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-02 | by ( Sofia Menchu | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Torres took 15.8% of the vote in the June 25 round, with Arevalo close behind with 11.8%. Some analysts expect Arevalo to win the runoff due to Torres' unpopularity in the voter-dense capital, Guatemala City. The court said it would then determine whether to take the rare step of mandating a recount. Arevalo said he would ask Guatemala's electoral court to annul the top court's decision, which he described as lacking legal merit and dangerous to the electoral process. In the days after the vote, Torres said she was concerned that votes had been manipulated with a faulty software system to favor Arevalo's party, Semilla.

Persons: Sandra Torres, Read, Bernardo Arevalo, Torres, Arevalo, Alejandro Giammattei's Vamos, Sofia Menchu, Daina Beth Solomon, William Mallard Organizations: National Unity of, GUATEMALA CITY, Central American, National Unity of Hope, Guatemalan, of American, Thomson Locations: Guatemala City, Guatemala, GUATEMALA

MEXICO CITY, June 26 (Reuters) - A woman who had just given birth was among 141 migrants detained at a bus checkpoint in southeastern Mexico on Monday, the same day another large group of migrants was found in the area crowded into the back of a trailer truck. The mother and her newborn girl were taken to a hospital after being detained, according to a statement by the National Migration Institute (INM). The mother was among a group of mostly Guatemalans found on the bus in the Gulf state of Veracruz. "(The woman) gave birth with the help of those that traveled with her, who cut the umbilical cord," the INM added. It comes after the institute reported on Monday that another 130 Guatemalan migrants had been detained in a truck in the same state.

Persons: Daina Beth Solomon, Isabel Woodford, Gerry Doyle Organizations: MEXICO CITY, National Migration Institute, United, Thomson Locations: MEXICO, Mexico, Gulf, Veracruz, Texas, United States

☆ Ex-First Lady, Center-Left Newcomer Head to Guatemalan Election Runoff
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-26 | by ( Juan Montes | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Persons: Dow Jones

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