No menu items!

COSTA RICA'S LEADING ENGLISH LANGUAGE NEWSPAPER

HomeGuatemalaGuatemala presidential hopeful cries fraud

Guatemala presidential hopeful cries fraud

Recommended: Guatemala’s former President Pérez Molina to stand trial Dec. 21; until then, jail

GUATEMALA CITY – A millionaire businessman battling to reach the runoff in Guatemala’s turbulent presidential election alleged Thursday that the down-to-the-wire ballot count from the first round has been falsified by fraud.

“The signs of fraud are blatantly obvious,” said conservative candidate Manuel Baldizón, who four days after the vote is still locked in a neck-and-neck race for runner-up with former First Lady Sandra Torres of the social democratic party.

He alleged a “double counting system” was in place — a claim the country’s top election official said was baseless.

It was the latest twist in a race already rocked by months of protests against ex-President Otto Pérez Molina, his 11th-hour resignation and arrest on corruption charges, and the surprise first-round win of comedian and political outsider Jimmy Morales.

With 99.07 percent of the ballots counted from Sunday’s election, Morales had 23.85 percent of the vote, Torres 19.76 percent and Baldizón 19.65 percent, officials said. That means Morales, a conservative, will face either Torres or Baldizón in a runoff on Oct. 25. But with just 5,523 votes separating the latter two, the race remains too close to call, officials said.

See: In Guatemala’s capital, little enthusiasm for country’s next president

A ‘friend’ told him

Baldizón said his campaign has requested the results sheets from all 2,700 polling stations.

“A friend said to me, ‘They’re stealing the election from us,'” he said.

Electoral tribunal chief Julio Solorzano dismissed the allegation.

“If they believe there’s fraud, let them prove it,” he told journalists.

Election officials have said they will finish reviewing the ballot count Friday and announce the results at a press conference.

Former President Pérez Molina, meanwhile, appealed a judge’s ruling to jail him pending trial. His lawyer said jailing the retired general violated his rights and was unnecessary because he did not pose a flight risk.

Prosecutors and investigators from a U.N. commission tasked with fighting high-level graft in the Central American country accuse Pérez Molina of orchestrating a scheme in which businesses paid bribes to corrupt officials in exchange for illegal discounts on their customs duty.

The scheme collected $3.8 million in bribes between May 2014 and April 2015, including $800,000 each to Pérez Molina and jailed ex-Vice President Roxana Baldetti, prosecutors allege.

Trending Now

Costa Rica Faces Calls to Strengthen Shark Protection Enforcement

Costa Rica faces growing pressure from environmental experts and lawyers to tighten enforcement of laws protecting endangered sharks. Recent court rulings have highlighted gaps...

Marriott Expands in Costa Rica with Adventure-Focused Hotel

Marriott is set to grow its footprint in Costa Rica by opening a new hotel in the Central Pacific area next year. The Santa...

JetBlue Flash Sale: Fort Lauderdale to Liberia Flights Ends Today

Those looking for a deal on airfare and eyeing a trip between Florida and Costa Rica now have a chance to get one with...

Paris Louvre Robbery Targets Apollo Gallery Crown Jewels

Robbers wielding power tools scaled a furniture hoist outside the Louvre to make off with priceless jewelry from the world-renowned museum on Sunday, taking...

Costa Rica OIJ Arrests Human Trafficking Ring Exploiting Minors

The Judicial Investigation Agency (OIJ) dismantled a gang dedicated to human trafficking for the sexual exploitation of minors after carrying out 19 simultaneous raids...

Trump Authorizes CIA Ops in Venezuela as US Weighs Land Strikes

United States President Donald Trump on Wednesday authorized CIA operations against Venezuela and said he was considering carrying out ground attacks against drug cartels...
spot_img
Costa Rica Coffee Maker Chorreador
Costa Rica Coffee Maker Chorreador
Costa Rica Travel Insurance
Costa Rica Rocking Chait
Costa Rica Travel

Latest News from Costa Rica