Guatemala Elections: Losing Candidate Sandra Torres Challenges Election Results, Alleges Voter Fraud

Former First Lady Sandra Torres, who lost to progressive candidate Bernardo Arevalo in the Guatemala elections, is channeling Donald Trump and is challenging the election results by claiming voter fraud. However, much like Trump, she is not presenting much evidence to back those claims.

Arevalo won by a landslide, going from an obscure candidate to a surprise runoff qualifier and then becoming the president-elect against Torres, who had remained silent before issuing the challenge to the results. A part of the political establishment and allied to the current and unpopular Alejandro Giammattei administration, Torres has not yet accepted the results of the election.

The Associated Press noted that Guatemalans have grown tired of the political establishment in their country, which Torres has exemplified. This made many flock to Arevalo who had been targeted by the current government as he is seen as a threat to many of them.

Her complaint has been described as the latest attempt by Guatemala's political elite to eradicate all competition in the country. Before the primary election, three of the most popular opposition candidates were disqualified for various reasons.

The Complaints Filed by Sandra Torres Regarding Guatemala Elections

Sandra Torres is part of the National Unity of Hope Party, and a lawyer for her party, Carlos Torres, filed the complaint on her behalf. He cited irregularities in the vote counting and claimed that there was electoral fraud that changed the true voting results, violating the "popular will expressed by the people through vote."

However, there was no evidence presented to back these claims when they were filed. Several international observers from various foreign governments, such as the Organization of American States, the European Union, and the United States, have all agreed that the Guatemala elections did not have as many voting irregularities as the establishment politicians claimed.

Torres noted that there were duplicate vote tallies that called into question the country's vote-counting system. The party also claimed that votes were counted too hastily and that party monitors were not given copies of documents tallying the votes. The Associated Press has obtained a copy of the complaint and pointed out that there was no evidence given in these claims.

OAS Demands Protection for Guatemala Elections Winner Bernardo Arevalo

The Organization of American States' Human Rights Commission demanded that the Guatemalan government protect its new president-elect. The human rights organization claimed that there were reports that there was a possible plot to kill him.

Arevalo and his running mate, Karin Herrera, are reportedly the target of "at least one" plan to harm or kill them, according to the Associated Press. The Guatemalan government said it has offered the president-elect and the vice president-elect protection while Arevalo stated that he was coordinating with the government on protective measures.

"At least the sources within the government that are considered highly reliable have warned about the existence of a plot codenamed 'Colosio,'" said the OAS commission in a reference to the 1994 assassination of Mexico presidential candidate Luis Donaldo Colosio.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Rick Martin

WATCH: How an anti-corruption outsider triumphed in Guatemala's presidential election - PBS NewsHour