(Reuters) – Sandra Torres is relying on her extensive background in Guatemalan politics, spanning over two decades, as she attempts to win over disillusioned voters ahead of the upcoming presidential runoff on Sunday. Torres hopes to avoid a third consecutive election defeat.
Opinion polls indicate that Torres is trailing behind Bernardo Arevalo, a reformist candidate whose anti-corruption stance has created waves within the country’s establishment. Despite facing a double-digit deficit, Torres, aged 67, believes her experience will be crucial in tackling Guatemala’s poverty rate of over 55%. The country suffers from high levels of child malnutrition and holds the unfortunate distinction of being the largest source of migration to the United States in Central America.
In a debate on Monday, Torres stated, “Every four years it’s the same. Candidates appear with no experience… Making promises is easy, but getting things done is different.”
During her tenure as the first lady under the presidency of the late Alvaro Colom from 2008 to 2011, Torres advocated for a welfare program that helped her and her National Unity of Hope (UNE) party establish a strong presence in rural communities. Torres, who originates from a impoverished town in Guatemala’s Peten region, has pledged to expand the social safety net if she wins the election.
However, critics argue that Torres’ efforts have been “clientelistic” and have failed to truly lift people out of poverty. Will Freeman, a fellow for Latin America studies at the Council on Foreign Relations, stated, “Today many Guatemalans regard her social programs as not really geared toward lifting people out of poverty for good.”
Since 2011, Torres has aspired to become the president, going so far as to divorce her husband in a failed attempt to avoid a constitutional ban on immediate relatives of the incumbent president running for office. Despite making it to the second round in the 2015 and 2019 presidential bids, Torres ultimately fell short.
In 2019, Torres faced allegations of campaign finance irregularities, which she denied. She spent four months in prison before the case was closed in 2022 due to insufficient evidence. However, a CID Gallup poll conducted in July revealed that 54% of respondents viewed Torres as “corrupt” and a “liar,” in stark contrast to public sentiment towards Arevalo.
In an effort to overturn past election defeats, Torres has sought new alliances, shifting her position on social issues. She now campaigns to maintain the current prohibitions on same-sex marriage and abortion in the traditionally conservative country. She has also chosen an evangelical pastor as her running mate. Nevertheless, Torres may struggle to appeal to voters who are averse to establishment figures, as nearly a quarter of voters cast spoiled or blank ballots in the first-round vote in June.
(Reporting by Brendan O’Boyle, Editing by Rosalba O’Brien)
Credit: The Star : News Feed
