Guatemala City – Two men from opposite sides of the political spectrum began an eight-week sprint Monday to convince Guatemalans that the ballot box can rescue their country.
Alvaro Colom, a former businessman with center-left leanings, finished first in Sunday’s first round of presidential voting, about 5 percentage points ahead of Otto Perez Molina, a former army general, according to nearly complete official results Monday.
Guatemala is a nation threatened by crime, unemployment and an ongoing exodus of workers to the United States. Sunday’s first round of voting suggested that Guatemala’s 12.7 million citizens are sharply divided about how to make things right. Voters have until the Nov. 4 runoff election to decide between a strongman who has vowed to crack down on organized crime and a candidate who has promised to lead a regime of tolerance and social justice.
“Here in Guatemala, if you leave your house, only God knows if you’re going to come back alive,” said Eduardo Perez, a restaurant owner in Antigua who voted for Perez Molina.
In the small town of San Juan Suchitepequez, north of Guatemala City, big-city crime is a relatively distant worry. But unemployment is a fact of life. In the nearby hillsides, clandestine workshops produce fireworks and offer precious jobs. Many parents send their children there to work, despite the obvious dangers.
“We’re hoping for a change, for more work and more jobs,” said Jose Emilio Xolix, a shoe-factory worker who voted with his wife and two daughters in San Juan Suchitepequez.
President Oscar Berger, whose conservative economic policies have been criticized, is barred by Guatemala’s constitution from seeking re-election.
In Sunday’s voting, Colom carried rural and Mayan voters swayed by his anti-poverty plan. Perez Molina targeted urban voters with his promise to wield a “firm hand” against delinquents.
