Pre-electoral Report: Guatemala´s presidential run-off

• Political Analisys

On August 20, Guatemala will head to the polls to define its next President in a run-off election. Citizens will have to choose between two options: Sandra Torres of UNE, from the more conservative wing, and Bernardo Arévalo of the Movimiento Semilla, a progressive space with an anti-establishment discourse, which according to projections is now leading the race. Both of them are competing after having obtained less than 20% of the votes in the first round, which reflects a citizenry that feels unrepresented by its political class. This was evidenced by the high percentage of null and blank votes, which then exceeded 24%, and which is the ground on which this election is disputed. In a scenario open to surprises, winning over that part of the undecided and disengaged electorate will be the key to tilt the balance and win the Presidency.