Guatemala - August 2023

On 20 August, Guatemala’s run-off election between Sandra Torres, and Bernardo Arévalo took place. The latter won with an over 20-percentage point difference (around 58 per cent of support in comparison with Torres’s 37 per cent). According to Guatemala’s Supreme Electoral Tribunal, voter turnout was around 45 per cent. Turnout in the first round was around 60 per cent, though according to electoral officials, turnout has historically been lower in run-off elections. 

Arévalo’s victory amidst prosecutorial actions against his Movimiento Semilla party have pointed to citizens’ fatigue over the political establishment’s performance. Citizens have protested against attempts to undermine the result of the election, calling for the Attorney General, Anti-Graft Prosecutor and a judicial official that ordered the suspension of Movimiento Semilla to resign. Popular demonstrations in support of Arévalo have also taken place. 

Sources: El Pais, France 24 (1), The New York Times, France 24 (2)