Guatemala Elects Bernardo Arévalo and Karin Herrera as the nation's next president and vice president. Image Credit: Karin Herrera, Twitter.
Bernardo Arévalo Guatemala

Guatemala Elects Bernardo Arévalo for President

Soledad Quartucci

Guatemala Elects Bernardo Arévalo for President. The leader of Movimiento Semilla wins the 2023 Guatemalan Presidential Elections

A total of 4.2 million Guatemalans exercised their right to vote, marking 44.9 percent of the eligible 9.3 million citizens, in a pivotal election to choose their new president.

Bernardo Arévalo de León, a 64-year-old academic affiliated with the Movimiento Semilla political group and an advocate for anti-corruption measures, emerged victorious on August 20, defeating Sandra Torres Casanova from the National Unity party of Hope (UNE).

 

 

Arévalo, who joined forces with Karin Herrera as his running mate, secured a substantial 2,441,661 votes, representing 58 percent of the total cast – 4,208,985 votes. Meanwhile, his rival Sandra Torres Casanova, hailing from UNE, garnered 1,567,472 votes, equivalent to 37.2 percent, reports Prensa Libre.

 

 

Who is Bernardo Arevalo?

Arévalo is a sociologist and the son of Juan José Arévalo, the first democratically elected president of Guatemala (1945-1951). He is committed to carrying on his father’s legacy with a robust social and transformative agenda.

 

Guatemala Elects Bernardo Arévalo as the nation’s next president. Image Credit: Bernardo Arevalo, Facebook.

 

Bernardo Arévalo, known by the nickname Tío Bernie, gained popularity during the campaign. He was born in Montevideo, Uruguay, where his family resided due to his father’s exile following the 1954 counterrevolution. Arévalo’s upbringing took place across various countries, including Venezuela, Chile, and Mexico. At the age of 15, he returned to Guatemala, and later pursued studies at an Israeli university.

 

 

Professionally, he holds a sociology degree from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and a doctorate in philosophy and social anthropology from the University of Utrecht in the Netherlands. During the 1980s, he had a diplomatic career within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, holding significant roles such as the first secretary and consul of the Guatemalan Embassy in Israel from 1984 to 1988, as well as the position of vice minister of Foreign Affairs from 1994 to 1995. Additionally, he served as the Guatemalan ambassador in Spain from 1995 to 1996 under the government of Ramiro de León Carpio.

Arévalo represents change in a nation grappling with poverty, violence, corruption and migration.

 

Guatemala Elects Bernardo Arévalo as the nation’s next president. Image Credit: Bernardo Arevalo de Leon, Facebook.

 

Vows to fight Corruption

In a speech lasting over eight minutes, Arévalo expressed gratitude for the trust placed in him by Guatemalan citizens, vowing to combat corruption alongside his vice-presidential partner Karin Herrera.

He emphasized that the victory belongs to the people of Guatemala, declaring their united stance against corruption and advocating for change. Arévalo, whose father was the first democratically elected president of Guatemala, will assume office on January 14.

He pledged to stand up for those who couldn’t participate in the elections and lauded the families who contributed to the campaign. Arévalo sees the election results as a rejection of corruption and a call for transformation.

During a press conference, Arévalo fielded questions from national and international media. He stressed unity against corruption and the imperative for change in Guatemala.

Arévalo’s victory is seen as a significant step in challenging the traditional political landscape of the country and addressing pressing issues like poverty, violence, and corruption.

 

Guatemala Elects Bernardo Arévalo. Image Credit: Karin Herrera, Twitter.

 

10 Seeds–Movimiento Semilla Governing Plan

Seed 1: Improve the living conditions of the population through public goods and services executed with a focus on rights.

Education

Education stands as a priority, and seeks a different path from the current system. A different, transformative education is sought, one that guarantees a better life for the four regions comprising Guatemala. The goal is to have a comprehensive plan that sees education as a strategy for nurturing aware and capable citizens. Neglecting the education of young people and children hinders progress. This situation necessitates a comprehensive educational reform and the establishment of a National Pact for Education that involves all institutional and social sectors.

There’s a strong commitment to laying the groundwork for educational change. This involves creating a Ministry of Education that takes interculturality as a key element of its governance role.

This addresses two significant shortcomings in the education system: insufficient coverage, particularly at early childhood and secondary levels, and the poor quality of education provided. The aim is also to enhance the population’s living conditions through public services grounded in a rights-based approach.

Goals 

  • 540,000 more students in public education, at all levels, with special attention to secondary education.
  • 70,000 new classrooms, rooms and laboratories in public education.
  • Over 29.5 million books and teaching guides in print and delivered.
  • More than 36,000 new bathrooms and guaranteed water in all schools and institutes.
  • Change of the Initial Teacher Training Program (Mineduc/Usac).
  • Program for evaluation and continuous improvement of the quality of education in Guatemala.
  • Special attention programs to avoid desertion and school failure.
  • Eight regional institutes of excellence.
    One in each region:
    Suchitepéquez, Guatemala, Quiché, Sacatepéquez, Baja Verapaz, Izabal, Santa Rosa and Petén.
  • Each institute with a capacity of 800 students.
  • Each student with a scholarship of Q3,600 per month.
  • Hiring the best teachers to be teachers.

To learn about all 10 semillas visit:

Plan de Gobierno

 

Soledad Quartucci | CEO/Founder, Latina Republic

At Latina Republic our mission is to foster regional understanding through stories, articles, interviews and reports that resonate from the heart of the Americas. Our primary objective is to encourage peaceful dialogue by shedding light on local perspectives often overlooked by mainstream media. We aspire to empower all stakeholders in resolving regional challenges by disseminating this valuable knowledge. We strive to capture the triumphs and struggles of everyday life in Latin America. Our stories track the evolution of social movements, amplifying the voices of those pioneering change.

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