With 50% of the votes counted, the Social Democratic candidate and former first lady, Sandra Torres, comes in first place with 14.97% of the votes. She is followed by the leftist Bernardo Arévalo with 12.18%, who could become the real surprise of these elections. The polls gave him in eighth place.
First modification:
Reports the correspondent in Guatemala for RFI, Diana Fuentes
The social democrat Sandra Torres won the first round of the Guatemalan elections in the midst of strong disturbances and a null vote. “We are really happy and happy to see the results, “We are going to win, against whoever it is,” said the former first lady. The second round is scheduled for August 20.
If he wins in the second round, Torres will achieve a historic achievement, after the third attempt. She was first lady with the late president Álvaro Colom, according to previous surveys she reached 21.3% of voting intentions, especially at the community level.
The level of popularity of Bernardo Arévalo-Semilla was surprising with 12.18% and Manuel Conde-Vamos with 8.34% of the far-right Valor party.
The null vote also led these elections, some Guatemalans decided to vote only for mayors and provincial councils, voting null for presidential candidate because no candidate “suited them”, according to the interviews carried out with the citizens by RFI.
Voting is not compulsory in Guatemala. Participation was only 57%. The number of null votes was very high with 17.5% and 7.14% white. A sample of little interest and distrust towards the electoral process.
Riots during election day
The day was marked by the burning of ballots and the presence of riot police and Molotov attacks on voting centers. The polls closed at 6:00 p.m., but riots were reported in San José del Golfo during the day. Attacks with the presence of riot police and tear gas left several injured and detained.
130 members of the Vote Receiving Boards and the Electoral Board were intercepted by armed men, according to a complaint by the Departmental Electoral Board of Guatemala.
Other departments with incidents were Escuintla, San Martin Zapotitlan, Retalhuleu, Chisec, Alta Verapaz, Nentón, Huehuetenango, and Quetzaltenango.
