Why Arevalo's victory is a loss to the US
3 Min Read
Bernardo Arevalo, a member of Semilla, a new political party, secured a resounding victory in Guatemala's presidential election, replacing a former government that was very much pro-US foreign policy.
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Bernardo Arevalo after voting in the run-off presidential election in Guatemala on August 20, 2023 (AP)
According to Max Primorac, a commentator for The Heritage Foundation, the recent election results in Guatemala do not bode well for the United States.
Primorac, a director at Allison Center for Foreign Policy Studies, explains that the election of a leftist government could alter the country's traditional pro-US stance.
Two days ago, Bernardo Arevalo secured a resounding victory in Guatemala's presidential election with his "anti-corruption" agenda. Arevalo is a member of Semilla, a new political party.
A prominent prosecutor, Rafael Curruchiche, sought to disqualify Arevalo and authorized raids on his party offices and even the election body during the campaign. Rafael Curruchiche, who had previously faced sanctions from Washington for corruption, signaled that further actions might follow even after the election results were announced.
Throughout the campaign, Arevalo has avoided concerns about social issues and focused instead on an appealing anti-corruption message. While Guatemala has made significant progress in democratizing its national economy, it is plagued with corruption between the government and corporations and scandals that have eroded Guatemalans' faith in institutions.
Primorac believes that the new government might have a significant influence on American national security, considering that the outgoing one had been a major US foreign policy supporter, publicly supporting Ukraine over Russia and being vehemently pro-"Israel" and pro-US.
Two weeks after Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen visited Guatemala, the island nation's President Alejandro Giammattei announced a visit in April.
While in Guatemala, Tsai had vowed to maintain assistance for what she called "democratic partners". On his part, Giammattei reaffirmed his administration's "recognition of the sovereignty" of Taiwan in a blunt disregard to the One-China Policy allegedly adhered to even by the US.
Only 14 countries recognized Taiwan. However, in early December, Nicaragua switched its diplomatic allegiance from Taiwan to China, followed by Honduras in mid-March, which announced that it would cut ties with Taiwan and restore its ties with China, leaving Taiwan with only 12 states that recognize it.
On his part, Arevalo too expressed his hopes for closer ties to China since he sees it as an opportunity to expand on the country's growth.
Following Arevalo's surprising performance in the initial round, eight right-wing parties contested the outcome, adding another layer of complexity to the electoral process.
