Guatemala election takes unexpected turn as centrist claims place in runoff
GuardianJul 07, 2023
Guatemala: Court Allows Arévalo to Partake in Runoff
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Image copyright: Padraic/Flickr [via Wikimedia Commons]
The Facts
Guatemala's Constitutional Court ruled on Thursday that dark-horse candidate Bernardo Arévalo can take part in the presidential runoff vote next month, overturning an order that had thrown the nation into political turmoil a day earlier by suspending his party.
The ruling comes as his progressive Seed Movement, which received 12% of the votes in the elections on June 25, appealed against the disqualification and was granted a provisional injunction.
The Spin
Pro-establishment narrative
Guatemala's deep-rooted political elite has been using its clout over the electoral and judicial system to disallow any candidate that potentially threatens the interests of the country's establishment to run for president this year, even if this means engaging in electoral fraud. The Electoral and Political Parties Law is clear when it establishes that no party can be suspended during the electoral period.
Establishment-critical narrative
For years, America's Deep State had meddled in Guatemala to advance its vile agenda, a harmful intromission of which local authorities recently became aware. Now that the country has broken free from Washington's control and has been promoting the rule of law, it's no surprise that the US Dept. of State is desperate to interfere in its internal affairs and influence its presidential election.
