Guatemala: Presidential election frontrunners face runoff

Polling stations in Guatemala closed on Sunday evening, marking the end of a closely contested presidential election.

The election will proceed to a runoff on August 20, the electoral commission said Monday.

Former First Lady Sandra Torres fell short of the required 50% plus one vote for an outright victory, even though she was set to win the first round. None of the other presidential candidates polled near the required 50% threshold.

Over 20 candidates are vying for the presidency, including career diplomat Edmond Mulet and Zury Rios, daughter of the late dictator Efrain Rios Montt.

The stakes in this election are high, considering the deterioration of transparency, human rights, and ongoing challenges of poverty, corruption, and violence in recent years.

Accusations of irregularities in the Guatemalan presidential election

The race to the Guatemalan presidency has been overshadowed by a court ruling that disqualified four candidates from the ballot. This included early front-runner businessman Carlos Pineda, which drew criticism from the United States and the European Union.

Many voters doubt that the election will effectively address the country's pressing issues of poverty, crime, and corruption.

Two of the leading candidates accused the ruling party of vote-buying as the polls closed. Torres and Mulet pointed to alleged irregularities that favored the conservative ruling party candidate for president, Manuel Conde.

"We have complaints they are buying votes" with the distribution of food, Torres said.

Clashes between voters and security forces were reported in the cities of San Jose del Golfo and San Martin Zapotitlan, where allegations of unlawful practices led to voting suspensions and arrests.

Authorities reported several fire bomb attacks near voting centers in the capital during the late hours of the day.

How voters in Guatemala see the election

Recent events, such as theimprisonment of the founder of a newspaper critical of the government on money laundering charges, have eroded people's faith in the ability of the elections to bring meaningful change.

The turnout was low, reported by the electoral commission at around 57%.

Thirty-year-old Alejandro Cameros complained that the only thing that has changed in Guatemala is the names of its presidents, as the same corrupt power structure remained. "I voted for something different," he said.

"We woke up very early to vote. We vote with enthusiasm — and afterward, the presidents, it's always the same thing," voter Maria Chajon told the news agency AFP.

Guatemala, with its population of 17.6 million, is one of the poorest countries in Latin America, characterized by high levels of inequality and violent crime.