Guatemala Elections: President-Elect Bernardo Arevalo Congratulated by US President Joe Biden Who Calls for a Smooth Transition

With 100% of the votes now counted for the 2023 Guatemala Election, Bernardo Arevalo, who went from a longshot to an unlikely leader, is now Guatemala's president-elect. Now, world leaders are congratulating him and are urging a smooth transfer of power.

Regional and international leaders have lauded the victory of the center-left anti-corruption crusader who defeated establishment candidate and former First Lady Sandra Torres during the presidential runoff election held last Sunday. He won with 58% of the votes, while Torres, an ally of current President Alejandro Giammattei, only received 37% of the votes.

US President Joe Biden was among the first to congratulate the new president-elect of Guatemala. He also congratulated the country on a "fair and peaceful" election. The US president also stressed that his government recognizes Arevalo as the true winner, which means should any shenanigans prevent him from taking the presidency, any other president would not be recognized by the US.

"Congratulations to the people of Guatemala following a fair and peaceful second round of elections, and to Bernardo Arevalo de León on his election," wrote Biden on social media. "I look forward to working together to foster prosperity and security in Guatemala."

Norway's Ministry of Foreign Affairs followed suit, saying the Scandinavian country is looking forward "to a democratic transition of power, respecting the popular will."

The EU also reacted to the leftist leader's win, according to Al Jazeera News, with EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell stating, "The outcome of the vote is already very clear... It is crucial for all state institutions and all sectors of society to support and join in this effort in the interests of the country."

The Organization of American States, which sent independent observers to Guatemala, also lauded the results.

"A salute to the people and government of Guatemala for an exemplary election day, a true civic celebration," OAS Chief Luis Almagro said.

Bernardo Arevalo Likely To Face Legal Challenges to Guatemala Election Win

Despite being recognized by world leaders and foreign observers as the true winner, Arevalo's victory has made many in Guatemala's political elite scared, as the country suffers from corruption and a move to a more authoritarian rule under the deeply unpopular President Alejandro Giammattei.

As the Associated Press reported, Torres has remained silent since losing the election last Sunday, with her party releasing a brief statement that did not indicate that it would challenge the results., stating that it would take a "definitive position when the results are clarified with total transparency."

Arevalo's Seed movement has also been targeted by harassment from many government officials, with investigations looking into its validity being launched. The votes for the first round and the runoff have not been canvassed yet, which means there is still room to disqualify Arevalo and reverse the will of the people of Guatemala.

Bernardo Arevalo Following in His Father's Footsteps

Despite being considered a political outsider, Bernardo Arevalo is the son of Juan Jose Arevalo, Guatemala's first democratically elected president. His father had a legacy of social progress, according to Reuters, and the younger Arevalo is poised to follow in his footsteps.

"I'm not my father, but I'm traveling down the same road he built," the new president-elect of Guatemala said.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Rick Martin

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