Over 9 million Guatemalans are voting on Sunday for a new president

Guatemala City, Jun 25 (RHC) Some 9.3 million Guatemalans go to the polls today to elect a new president, basically among three main candidates: Edmund Mulet (72), Zury Ríos (55), and Sandra Torres (67).

In the Sunday general elections, voters are also electing the vice president, 160 representatives to Congress, 20 deputies to the Central American Parliament, and 340 municipal mayors for the 2024-2028 term.

In order to win in the first round, the presidential candidates must win the race by an absolute majority, which represents 50% plus one of the total votes. In the event of a runoff, this would take place on August 20, 2023.

Several candidates were disqualified to run for president, indigenous leader Thelma Cabrera, human rights advocate Jordan Rodas, and favorite Carlos Pineda. Their disqualification by the ruling electoral body led to strong criticism of a political process overshadowed by fraud and judicialization.

This left Mulet and Ríos, from the right and extreme right, and Torres, from the center-right, as the running candidates.

According to polling firm Latinobarometro, 65% of Guatemalans distrust democracy (Source: PL)