Jan. 15 marked a significant day in the political history of Guatemala as they inaugurated their new president, Bernardo Arevalo. His victory has raised hope for the country’s fragile democracy, but unsurprisingly it was no easy feat. During the election, numerous attempts stopped Arevalo from becoming president. Arevalo has faced an assassination plot, his party’s suspension and an onslaught of legal attacks. Fortunately for the people of Guatemala, all of these events failed, but there is still concern about corruption.
It is no secret that the governments in developing countries are entrenched in corruption, especially in Guatemala. Transparency International has ranked Guatemala 30 out of 180 on a list of most to least corrupt. To name every single problem of the country’s government would be incredibly tedious. Still, some problems are more prevalent than others—for example, discrimination against indigenous people, education, wages and politics. Arevalo’s politics align with finding solutions for these problems.
His win was a huge surprise because he was not one of the favored candidates for the majority of the election. However, his messages of hope for Guatemala’s potential and battling with corruption resonated with many citizens. Arevalo has also talked about the “historic debt” Guatemala owes to its indigenous people. He also plans on expanding education, and access to health care, and working toward Guatemala’s prosperity.
Arevalo is not the first member of his family to become president. His father, Juan Jose Arevalo, was the first president of the family. Juan Jose Arevalo, pursued a nationalistic foreign policy while prioritizing the labor movement and enacting valuable social reforms (ex. social security). Like his son, he also supported the indigenous people of Guatemala. He even instituted freedom of speech. He was also the first democratically elected president of Guatemala.
Conclusion
Bernardo Arevalo’s win raises hope for a new era of equality and prosperity for Guatemala. However, the road ahead will be filled with many obstacles, such as legal attacks and investigations. Guatemala now has a chance to change.
