In a recent interview with Reuters, Bernardo Arevalo, the surprise second-place finisher in Guatemala's presidential election first round, has made explosive claims, accusing the government of orchestrating efforts to remove him from the race and casting doubt on the integrity of the election results.
Arevalo, the presidential candidate for the Movimiento Semilla party, expressed his deep concerns, stating, "Today this corrupt political class is facing a reality, and that is that my party is on the ballot, it resulted second at a three-point gap from the other person, has a chance of winning and it means that they are going to lose total control of the system."
Having initially been considered a long-shot contender, Arevalo's unexpected success has raised eyebrows within the political establishment. The country's top court has responded to allegations of irregularities by calling for a thorough review of the ballots. Arevalo finished ahead of Manuel Conde, the candidate for the ruling party Vamos, and former first lady Sandra Torres, both of whom have also questioned the integrity of the election.
Arevalo further highlighted his concerns during the Reuters interview, suggesting that the ballot review is part of a deliberate attempt by the government to replace him with Conde on the August run-off ballot. He fears that the government might seek to delay the electoral process until January 14, a deadline that would allow Congress to appoint a new president if an election has not been successfully concluded.
In an effort to maintain stability and prevent potential turmoil, Arevalo called for restraint, stating, "There must be a calm response from everyone's side because part of the scenarios that they must be mulling is trying to create popular explosions that justify a state of emergency or suspending guarantees, which are the perfect condition for these types of schemes."
Founded in 2017, Arevalo's Movimiento Semilla party holds strong ties to Guatemala's anti-corruption movement and is projected to secure 23 seats in Congress if the preliminary first-round results remain unchanged. Arevalo has pledged to bring back judges, prosecutors, and journalists who fled the country following the government's closure of a U.N.-backed anti-graft body in 2019.
Responding to Arevalo's allegations, the Vamos party issued a statement rejecting any suggestion that they aimed to influence the vote. A spokesperson for Vamos described Arevalo's claims regarding the government's attempt to include Conde on the August ballot as "conjecture."
While the ballot review has drawn international criticism, including from the United States and the European Union, who found no signs of problems with the first-round results, the Organization of American States has announced that its election observers will return to monitor the review process closely.
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