Comedian-turned-politician Jimmy Morales, 46, currently is in the lead to become Guatemala's next president by a wide margin. But in a surprise for many, former First Lady Sandra Torres – who for much of the campaign polled in a distant third place – was neck-and-neck with Líder party candidate Manuel Baldizón for a second-place spot in an Oct. 25 runoff election.
In a practice known as acarreo, political parties or candidates shuttle poor residents to various districts to vote in exchange for money or food. This year's general election on Sunday was marked by several allegations of acarreo, intimidation, and in some cases, violence.
Guatemalans disgusted with rampant corruption that felled their president are set to vote Sunday in elections many see as meaningless without a vast political system cleanup.
Each Saturday for five straight months, Guatemalans gathered in the capital's Plaza de la Constitución to demand the resignation of then-President Otto Pérez Molina, accused of being the mastermind behind a massive customs fraud mafia known as "La Línea." Citizens of all stripes across Guatemala joined in the demonstrations in their own cities and villages. Here's a look at that dramatic, tenacious and peaceful protest movement that since April has been inspiring the world.
GUATEMALA CITY – Guatemala's Congress accepted President Otto Pérez Molina's resignation Thursday as he appeared in court over corruption allegations following unprecedented protests that have upended the political scene, three days from elections.
GUATEMALA CITY – The faces of jubilant protesters erupting into cheers outside the Guatemalan Congress on Tuesday afternoon has become an iconic image for a Central American country’s extraordinary crusade against corruption.
On Thursday morning, President Otto Pérez Molina's defiance disintegrated as his spokesman announced that the president had stepped down after all, according to the Wall Street Journal and AFP. The spokesman said Pérez Molina was stepping down to deal "individually with the proceedings against him," reported AFP.
A judge issued an arrest warrant Wednesday for Guatemala's President Otto Pérez Molina, who faces prosecution for allegedly masterminding a huge fraud scheme.
GUATEMALA CITY – Guatemalan Nobel laureate Rigoberta Menchú sees the unprecedented protests calling for the ouster of President Otto Pérez Molina as a historic moment for a country long torn by violence, poverty and inequality.
Guatemala's chief public prosecutor said Wednesday she is confident embattled President Otto Pérez Molina will be convicted of corruption, as the country's top court rejected a legal challenge by the president's attorneys to the stripping of his immunity.
