Guatemala’s presidential run-off will be ‘test for democracy’

A Guatemalan anti-corruption campaigner is heavily favored to snag the presidency in Sunday's run-off vote, suggesting the country could be heading towards a new era after years of democratic backsliding. Bernardo Arevalo of the progressive center-left Semilla party, who surprised with a second-place finish in the first-round vote, had a strong lead in a recent opinion poll over his rival, former first lady Sandra Torres of the large, establishment center-left National Unity of Hope (UNE) party. Arevalo, a 64-year-old ex-diplomat and son of a former president, has survived attempts by prosecutors to bar him from the race, amid increasing international scrutiny of the electoral process and allegations of government interference.