Progressive Arevalo leads in poll ahead of Guatemala presidential election

[Judi Lynn]

A survey from CID Gallup shows Bernardo Arevalo surging ahead of conservative rival Sandra Torres in the lead-up to Sunday’s vote.



Veterans rally during a campaign stop for conservative candidate Sandra Torres on August 15 in Guatemala City [Cristina Chiquin/Reuters]

Published On 16 Aug 2023
16 Aug 2023

A new public opinion poll released days ahead of Guatemala’s presidential race indicates former dark-horse candidate Bernardo Arevalo is heading into the vote with a healthy lead.

Arevalo, a candidate for the progressive Movimiento Semilla or Seed Movement, is projected to win by 61 percent, according to a survey published on Wednesday by the research firm CID Gallup.



Bernardo Arevalo, right, attended a televised debate on August 7 that his rival Sandra Torres declined to participate in [File: Moises Castillo/AP Photo]


On June 25, Arevalo surprised the political establishment with an unexpectedly strong finish in the first round of voting.

The son of Guatemala’s first democratically elected president and a member of Congress himself, Arevalo scored 11.8 percent of the vote, a total only surpassed by Torres at 15.7 percent. No other candidate polled higher than 8 percent.



Demonstrators lead a ‘March of the Flowers’ in Guatemala City on July 23 to protest government actions taken against the Seed Movement [File: Cristina Chiquin/Reuters]

More:
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/8/16/progressive-arevalo-leads-in-poll-ahead-of-guatemala-presidential-election

[Judi Lynn]

1. Reuters: Guatemalan presidential candidate Arevalo seen winning runoff with 61%, poll finds

GUATEMALA CITY: Guatemalan presidential candidate Bernardo Arevalo is seen winning an Aug 20 runoff election backed by 61 per cent of valid votes, followed by former first lady Sandra Torres, according to a CID Gallup poll published on Wednesday (Aug 16).

Arevalo, an ex-diplomat who is running on an anti-corruption platform, scored a surprise second place in June's first round, finishing close behind Torres.

"Our growth trajectory continues, as more of us now want change in Guatemala," the candidate said on social messaging platform X. "However, this is not a reason to get complacent, because the old guard have already demonstrated that they are desperate and willing to go to any lengths."

Guatemalan authorities halted processing of the results and ordered the suspension of Arevalo's party, alleging the illegal registration of party members, but the suspension was reversed by the country's top court.

More:
https://www.channelnewsasia.com/world/guatemalan-presidential-candidate-arevalo-seen-winning-runoff-61-poll-finds-3703706