Voters choose their next president but see little hope for an end to corruption

The people of Guatemala are heading to the polls today to pick a new leader as they reel from a corruption scandal which sees their former president festering in jail. They are faced with an underwhelming list of candidates, mostly old-guard candidates picked to run before energized prosecutors backed by a mass anti-corruption movement toppled the previous administration. The main rival is a TV comedian, Jimmy Morales, who has never held elective office. Many voters are so skeptical that they campaigned for voters to wear black clothes of mourning, abstain or for the election to be postponed to give them a new crop of choices.

This is the biggest political crisis in 30 years but we must have elections and then widespread reforms to the justice, electoral, party funding and tax systems

Phillip Chicola, political analyst

The vote comes at the end of a week which has seen president Otto Perez Molina resign after being held in court custody. His vice-president Roxana Baldetti is also in custody, accused of being involved in a customs kickback scheme. Leading in most polls with roughly 30% backing is Manuel Baldizon, a wealthy 44-year-old businessman and longtime politician. Other candidates include former first lady Sandra Torres, who divorced her husband so she could get round a ban on standing, and Zulia Rios, the daughter of a former president accused of genocide. If, as expected, no candidate wins 50% of the vote there will be a second round of voting on 25 October.

Today is nothing to celebrate, it’s a tragedy. Elections should be about change and hope and a better future, but there are no genuine or worthy candidates to vote for. If I vote, I will be legitimising a corrupt system. That isn’t democracy; it’s a vicious cycle we have to break.

Voter Andres Quezada, 22

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