Summary:
- Bernardo Aravallo led with 58 percent of the vote over former First Lady Sandra Torres.
- His victory marks a repudiation of Guatemala's powerful political elite in an election that was closely watched by the international community.
- Aravallo is set to take office next January.
An anti-corruption crusader won Guatemala's presidential election via landslide on Sunday, according to preliminary results.
Bernardo Aravallo Wins Guatemala's Presidential Election
Bernardo Aravallo led with 58 percent of the vote over former First Lady Sandra Torres, a blow against the establishment that comes as violence and food insecurity roil the country and trigger fresh waves of migration.
Aravallo's Political Emergence
Aravallo unexpectedly emerged out of political obscurity to build a large anti-graft movement with his Simea party.
Celebrations and Reactions
After many other opposition candidates were barred from running and attempts to remove Aravallo and his party from the ballot, his supporters filled the streets of the capital Guatemala City on Sunday to celebrate the victory.
Local media reported that runner-up Torres canceled her post-vote news conference scheduled for Sunday evening. Then-conservative president Alejandro Giamate congratulated Aravallo on the win and invited him to start a "ordered transition" once results were formalized.
Pledges for Change
Aravallo has pledged an aggressive crackdown on corruption and to cultivate more hospitable conditions in the country and for the scores of prosecutors, judges, and journalists that fled Guatemala in recent years to return home.
Aravallo is set to take office next January.