Challenges ahead for new President of Guatemala

By James Blears

Bernardo Arevalo is now and at last the new President of Guatemala, following a surprise victory in the second round runoff of the Presidential Election.

Aged sixty five, he is the son of President Juan Jose  Arevalo. He was born in Uruguay, where his father was in exile, following being ousted by a coup. After studying abroad, he became Guatemala's Ambassador to Spain and also worked for non-governmental organization, Interpeace, in Geneva.

Finally returning to Guatemala he was a founding member of the Seed Movement. A late political bloomer, he was elected to Congress in 2019. 

He came second in round one of the Presidential Election with campaign promises to battle corruption. In his Inauguration speech, he said there's now an opportunity to build a healthy democratic unity from what he calls the rubble of this wall of corruption that we are beginning to tear down, brick by brick. 

He's promising to help indigenous peoples by repaying an historic debt to them plus expanding access to education, health and job opportunities. It's essential as there's an exodus of migrants northwards towards the United States. He also identifies climate change as policy priority. 

The new President doesn't have the support of Congress, he faces opposition from the Attorney General's office, the enmity of powerful drug cartels and the challenge of chronic widespread poverty.

It's day one of his new and most difficult as well as daunting job.