Polls open in tense Guatemala presidential run-off, with fears of interference
- The race pits Bernardo Arevalo against Sandra Torres, both social democrats, meaning Guatemala will have its first leftist leader in more than a decade
- The Central American nation is dogged by poverty, violence and corruption, with thousands heading abroad every year in search of a better life, many to the US
Guatemalans voted on Sunday in a presidential run-off marked by the harassment of a surprise front runner, who has fired up voters with his promises to end the rot of corruption.
The race pits reformist outsider Bernardo Arevalo against former first lady Sandra Torres, both social democrats, meaning Guatemala will have its first leftist leader in over a decade.
Polling stations opened at 7am local time and voting was to end at 6pm with first results expected later in the evening.
The Central American nation is dogged by poverty, violence and corruption, with thousands of its citizens heading abroad every year in search of a better life, many to the United States.
Arevalo’s unexpected success in the first round was followed by raids against his Semilla party offices and those of electoral officials, prompting the United Nations, the European Union, and the Organisation of American States to raise the alarm over efforts to undermine the vote.
“The real power of democracy comes from respecting the will of the people,” the US assistant secretary for Western Hemisphere affairs, Brian A Nichols, posted on social media on Friday.
