Guatemala presidential candidate rushes to expand base beyond urban youth

By SONIA PÉREZ D.
Associated Press

SANTA MARIA DE JESUS, Guatemala (AP) — Presidential candidate Bernardo Arévalo won just 11% of the vote in Guatemala’s presidential election’s first round June 25. But it was enough to give him the surprise second slot in the Aug. 20 runoff ballot. Now he must rapidly expand his largely urban, youthful base. Opponents have tried to frame Arévalo’s candidacy as a step toward some of the region’s more notorious leftist regimes, like Cuba and Nicaragua. He has pushed back against that, and has been campaigning in rural villages by stressing his anti-corruption message. He’s also using farming metaphors, telling rural residents they could be seeds of a new, corruption-free springtime in Guatemala.