Guatemala Elections Heading To Presidential Run-off as Former First Lady Sandra Torres Takes on Center-Leftist Bernardo Arevalo

The vote counting for the Guatemala elections is now ongoing. However, early results indicate that there will be no winner yet as the elections are heading to a run-off election for the presidency this August. It will be between conservative former first lady Sandra Torres and center-left candidate Bernando Arevalo.

Guatemala's Supreme Electoral Tribunal announced that out of the over 20 presidential candidates, it will be Torres, who had 15.7% of the votes, and Arevalo, who had 11.8% of the votes, who will be the ones facing off in August. Torres is a right-wing establishment candidate for the conservative UNE party while Arevalo is a center-left candidate from the Seed Movement.

According to the Associated Press, none of the two leading candidates were able to reach the 50% vote threshold to avoid the runoff. The results came amid low voter turnout as only 60% of those eligible to vote participated in the election.

There were almost a million invalid ballots cast as well, with voters being frustrated at the candidates who were running as many of the favorites were disqualified.

Sandra Torres watched the results from a downtown hotel conference room and vowed that no matter who her run-off opponent will be, she will be "Guatemala's first woman president."

As for Arevalo, he was seen crossing Constitution Plaza in front of the National Palace on Monday afternoon to greet hundreds of his supporters who gathered there. Someone shouted: "There's hope!" as he spoke with both reporters and supporters.

Bernardo Arevalo Qualifying for Guatemala Run-off Elections To Be President Was an Upset

While Torres getting the top spot in the Guatemala election was not surprising, the one challenging her for the presidency is, and that is center-left candidate Bernardo Arevalo. Many did not predict that he would be the one to challenge Torres, as other candidates included favorites like Zury Rios, the daughter of Guatemala's former military dictator, Efrain Rios Montt, as well as many others.

Arevalo's qualification was seen by his supporters as a clear sign of public frustration with the country's political elites, according to The Guardian. As he greeted his supporters after the Supreme Electoral Tribunal announcement, they chanted, "You can see it, you can feel it! Bernardo Presidente!"

"We believe voters were fed up and tired of a political system which has been co-opted by the same-old groups and were looking for a decent alternative," said the center-leftist in his press conference before thanking voters for their courage.

Guatemala Election Run-Off Could Have Severe Ramifications

Many fear that at its current trajectory under President Alejandro Giammattei, Guatemala could veer into authoritarianism, with residents being frustrated with the status quo. Giammattei only has one term in office, but the system that enabled him could continue, as pointed out by Vox.

Guatemalan citizens feel that the country is now in control of the "pacto de corruptos," or the military, economic, and political establishment. Frustrations were felt when popular anti-establishment candidates like Carlos Pineda and Indigenous leader Thelma Cabrera were disqualified.

With Sandra Torres, who was investigated for corruption, the current system could continue, as she is considered part of the establishment. However, her run-off opponent is not. He had been campaigning against the establishment, often attacking Guatemala's powerful coalition of industries - the Coordinating Committee of Agricultural, Commercial, Industrial, and Financial Associations (CACIF), as well as urging Guatemalans to "vote differently."

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Rick Martin

WATCH: Early vote count for Guatemala's presidential election indicates 2nd round ahead - ABC News