Anti-corruption candidate wins Guatemala's presidential election
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A man waves a Guatemalan flag during a protest outside the headquarters of the Semilla Party in Guatemala City in July. Photo: Johan Ordonez/AFP via Getty Images
Bernardo Arévalo, a center-left anti-corruption candidate, appeared to have won Guatemala's presidential election on Sunday with over 98% of ballots counted, according to data from the country's Supreme Electoral Tribunal.
The big picture: The leader of the social democratic Movimiento Semilla Party was up against former first lady Sandra Torres, of the National Unity of Hope, in the runoff after he surprised many with his first round performance, per Marina E. Franco of Noticias Telemundo, writing for Axios.
- The first round's certification was delayed because of unsubstantiated allegations of fraud pushed partly by the ruling party, Vamos.
State of play: Guatemalan President Alejandro Giammattei, a conservative who's prohibited from seeking election, congratulated Arévalo in an online post that committed to an orderly transition of power the day after the results are officially certified.
Go deeper: Guatemalans rise up amid presidential election challenges
Editor's note: This article has been updated with new details throughout.
