Presidential Elections

Yesterday I read an article from the Prensa Libre about a political debate around the upcoming presidential elections in Guate that I am translating for you here:

On Women's International Day, Sandra Torres, the wife of the current Guatemalan President Alvaro Colom, announced she would run for president in the September 2011 elections.


"I took this decision for a simple reason: for you, for my people, for my country, for women, for the elderly, for the handicaped, for the abandoned, single moms, and widows, and for all the needy of Guatemala. I took this decision because I want to protect the social programs and progress we have achieved." She also sent a conciliatory message to business-owners, "my government will be open to them, because they are the main generators of employment and wealth". She accused the political opponents to oppose social programs, "Now that the electoral campaign is near, they say they support [social programs]" but she considers these to be threatened by "politics as usual, which have tried to destroy them." "My promise is to generate employment and development for all, dedicate myself to fight against deliquence, against narcotrafficking, against gangs and organized crime; a municipality safety program is included in my government plan." "I want to tell you that in my government there will not be one lonely woman; we'e going to include special programs for single moms, widows, and daughters and sons of the poorest women."


Torres' candidacy is very controversial. Some civil lawyers consider that she has immediate prohibition from participating in the presidential race because of her kinship to Colom. Others say that marriage does generate kinship but not to the extent of blood relation, which would mean her candidacy is legitimate.


As I scrolled down the page, I wondered what Guatemalans were thinking about this, so I read the comments. Out of 11 pages of comments, only 3 comments were not vehemently reprimanding Torres' actions and outraged by her candidacy. Here are some of the comments:

"The Guatemalan magna carta is treated like toilet paper here",

"It's lamentable and embarassing what this lady is pretending, violating our constitution is the first act of corruption; people of Guatemala let's react, let's not fall in the trap, let's not continue with more insecurity, no to the lack of transparency, this is an astounding act of hoarding power",

"If in four years her husband's government that she's been manipulating behind the scenes hasn't done anything to improve security and worsened our situation, she'll just make us poorer",

"Jesus Christ, what have the Guatemalan people done to undergo this malicious cancer",

"If instead of having given us half a pound of beans they would've given us safe streets, then maybe it would be a different story, but let her jump out of the Inguat building asap",

"This is electoral fraud, I hope CICIG will do something and not let them out of sight",

"This is a circus",

"I hope everyone says they are against Sandra de Colom, I hope that the parties will unite against this and defend the constitution, because if not and she stays, I can assure you that her government will reform the constitution in a referendum where reelection will be allowed and ready for manipulation. That's how dictators arise - by people's passivity - and ousting these crusts from power will cost blood like in Libya."

"The money for her campaign, let's not kid ourselves, we are providing it, and we've already paid for it through taxes that go to those social programs that don't help and just become an incentive to laziness",

"If with Colom we don't have enough to eat, then with this lady we're going to fight for a tortilla",

"If Sandra Torres (our Mubarak) stays, she'll govern for 20 more years; that'll be the only way we Guatemalans wake up and prepare to unite to destroy once and for all this generation of plunderers of our beautiful Guatemala.",

"Unfortunately in Guatemala, everything is bought...".

"We can't expect a better government after 3 years that she's already been governing us. Firstly: she stole the presidency from her husband. Secondly: She and her party are narcos. Thirdly: they start by violating the constitution, what else will they do during 4 years. She wants to continue in power because no one says anything. Therefore Guatemalan, continue in silence like always and leave it to the rest of the world, while that insignificant woman will continue violating and killing you like she's done until now.",

"Article 186 of the Guatemalan constitution forbids relatives up to the 4th degree of removal in sanguinity and up to the 2nd in affinity to a representative of the country to be a presidential candidate. In this case, Torres is the spouse of the country's representative, and so is in the 1st degree of affinity. And still she has the nerve to say that there is no impediment!!! Where are we going to stop with these people?"

"The simple thought that this lady would come to govern our country...makes me nautious..."