With just weeks remaining until Guatemala voters head to the polls to elect their new president, the country's highest court has ruled to exclude the leading candidate from the ballot, according to Reuters.

Carlos Pineda, a conservative businessman, had previously been deemed ineligible to run by a lower court. However, Pineda appealed to the constitutional court to challenge the decision.

Following the announcement that he would be barred from participating in the June 25 election, Pineda expressed his disappointment on Twitter, stating, "Corruption won, Guatemala lost!"

The lower court had initially suspended Pineda's candidacy due to his failure to meet the nomination requirements, which included securing signatures from party delegates and submitting necessary financial reports.

In a judgment delivered on Friday, the constitutional court largely upheld the lower court's ruling, further complicating the presidential race to replace President Alejandro Giammattei, who is legally prohibited from seeking re-election.

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Carlos Pineda Is the Third Disqualified Guatemala Presidential Candidate

Guatemala is witnessing a wave of disqualifications for presidential candidates ahead of the first round of voting scheduled for June 25, per Al Jazeera.

Carlos Pineda is the latest candidate to face exclusion, making him the third Guatemala presidential candidate to be disqualified from the race.

Fellow conservative candidate Roberto Arz was also disqualified Thursday, following an earlier disqualification of Thelma Cabrera, a left-leaning Indigenous candidate who had been running alongside disqualified former human rights official Jordán Rodas.

In the case of Rodas, a court ruling determined that his entire ticket, including Cabrera, was ineligible to register for the elections due to his failure to submit a required document stating that he had no ongoing judicial actions against him.

Critics of these disqualifications argue that they may be politically motivated to eliminate candidates considered unfavorable to the established government. Skepticism surrounding the decisions is growing, with concerns of potential manipulation of the judicial system to secure desired electoral outcomes.

Juan Pappier, the deputy Americas director at Human Rights Watch, expressed his views on Friday's decision through a tweet, stating that it was a "clear instrumentalization of the judiciary to guarantee an 'electoral' result."

Guatemala Presidential Candidate Carlos Pineda

Carlos Pineda, a successful businessman interested in transportation and agriculture, has emerged as a surprise contender in Guatemala's presidential race, Americas Quarterly reports.

 Unlike his main competitors, Pineda has been active on TikTok's social media platform since 2020, amassing over a million followers in a country of approximately 19 million people.

With growing disillusionment among Guatemalan voters towards the established political class, Pineda's status as a political newcomer lends him credibility as an outsider. In recent months, he has experienced a notable surge in popularity, catching his rivals off guard.

Through his strong online presence, Pineda has positioned himself as a right-wing populist, using TikTok to denounce oligarchs, political elites, and corruption. His approachable, casual demeanor resonates with audiences, establishing him as a self-reliant figure.

Pineda's appeal cuts across urban and rural areas, attracting support from those seeking a break from the political elite often associated with entrenched corruption. His message resonated with social media users and younger voters, who view him as a potential change agent.

The core pillars of Pineda's campaign include combating corruption, revitalizing infrastructure, and streamlining social services.

He proposes government programs that guarantee farmers a minimum price for their products and initiatives providing subsidized technical training and loans to small enterprises to stimulate job creation.

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This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Bert Hoover

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