Center-left Candidate Leads Polls in Guatemala

GUATEMALA CITY — Center-left presidential hopeful Alvaro Colom remains the front-runner in Guatemala’s September election despite the entry into the race of indigenous leader and Nobel peace laureate Rigoberta Menchú, a poll released Monday shows.

The survey, whose results were published in El Periódico newspaper, was conducted among 1,008 people Feb. 17- 26 by firm Borge y Asociados.

Colom leads with 32%, well ahead of right-wing Otto Pérez, with 13%, and the candidate of the governing center-right Gran Alianza Nacional, Alejandro Giammattei, who received the support of 5%.

Menchú, the recipient of the 1999 Nobel Peace Prize and the most recent entrant to the race, is in fourth place with the support of 4.4%. About 19% percent of those surveyed said they felt Menchú is a good presidential candidate because she fights for the poor, but less than 1% considers her to be intelligent.