Credit FAQ: What Will Guatemala's Weak Governability Under A New Administration Imply For Our Sovereign Credit Rating?

Bernardo Arevalo, from the center-left Semilla political party, became Guatemala?s new president on Jan. 14, 2024, for a four-year term (2024-2028). He ran on an anti-corruption platform that appealed to public discontent toward the ruling elite. Arevalo received only 11.8% of the votes in the primary election in June last year, and then got 58% of the votes against the front-runner Sandra Torres in the second round of elections in August. Several political developments before, during, and after the elections have raised concerns regarding the country's democratic system. Several candidates and parties were barred from the election race by the electoral authority in an arbitrary manner, according to local and international critics. Moreover, the country's Supreme Court and the attorney

...Bernardo Arevalo, from the center-left Semilla political party, became Guatemala's new president on Jan. 14, 2024, for a four-year term (2024-2028). He ran on an anti-corruption platform that appealed to public discontent toward the ruling elite. Arevalo received only 11.8% of the votes in the primary election in June last year, and then got 58% of the votes against the front-runner Sandra Torres in the second round of elections in August. Several political developments before, during, and after the elections have raised concerns regarding the country's democratic system. Several candidates and parties were barred from the election race by the electoral authority in an arbitrary manner, according to local and international critics. Moreover, the country's Supreme Court and the attorney general's office made attempts to question the legitimacy of the election results and prevent Arevalo from taking office. This led to international sanctions from the U.S. against 100 Guatemalan members of...

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