Guatemalans vote for new leader as many hope for renewal of democracy
By Cassandra Garrison
GUATEMALA CITY (Reuters) -Guatemalans began casting their votes on Sunday in a presidential run-off election that many hope will reverse democratic backsliding under recent administrations.
Recent polls have predicted that Bernardo Arevalo, a progressive candidate running on an anti-graft message, will trounce establishment figure and former first lady Sandra Torres. That outcome could usher in a new era after widespread allegations of corruption and creeping authoritarianism in recent years.
Guatemala's new president will assume power as violence and food insecurity roil the country, triggering fresh waves of migration. Guatemalans now represent the largest number of Central Americans seeking to enter the United States.
«I would like Arevalo to win because he is not the same,» Veronica Campos, a 58-year-old office worker, said after casting her vote on Sunday. «We are in a repetitive cycle. We have been wrong so many times believing in the same politicians.»
The election is being closely watched by the international community, including the United States, after campaigning was marred by attempts by some officials to remove Arevalo and his Semilla party from the race.
His surprise second-place finish in June's first-round vote provoked calls from opponents for recounts that delayed official results. His party was briefly suspended at the request of a prosecutor before the country's top court reversed the ban.
The political back and forth has put some voters on edge about potential problems during the run-off, which Arevalo has publicly said he is expecting.
«I hope that everything is calm, that democracy wins, that there is no fraud or political issues… and that our country gets ahead more than
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