00:00 Guatemalan anti-corruption crusader Bernardo Arevalo is all set to be voted in as the new
00:07 president, preliminary results have shown.
00:10 This is a victory that until recently seemed impossible and which many voters hoped will
00:15 end years of rule dogged by allegations of graft and authoritarianism.
00:20 Speaking to reporters shortly after preliminary election results showed him winning a majority,
00:25 Arevalo said that the people have indeed spoken loudly.
00:29 He added that he had already received calls from the current president congratulating
00:33 him on his victory as well as the presidents of Mexico and El Salvador.
00:38 His victory comes as violence and food insecurity roiled the country, triggering fresh waves
00:43 of migration.
00:44 Guatemalans now represent the largest number of Central Americans seeking to enter the
00:49 United States.
00:50 Arevalo, a 64-year-old ex-diplomat and son of a former president, had a 58% to 37% lead
00:58 over former first lady Sandra Torres, with 99% of votes being counted.
01:04 He has vowed to purge institutions co-opted by the corrupt and to get people committed
01:09 to what he calls the fight for justice to return to Guatemala after scores of prosecutors,
01:14 judges and journalists fled the country.
01:17 He faces blowback from entrenched interests and a Congress which his party does not control.
01:23 He unexpectedly emerged out of political obscurity to build a large anti-graft movement with
01:28 his Semia party after many other opposition candidates were barred from running.
01:33 His victory marks a repudiation of Guatemala's established political parties that wield huge
01:38 influence.
01:39 When Arevalo landed a surprise second-place finish in June's first round of voting, official
01:45 results were delayed as opponents alleged irregularities and his party was then briefly
01:50 suspended at the request of a prominent prosecutor before Guatemala's top court eventually reversed
01:56 the ban.
01:57 Beyond his anti-corruption policies, Arevalo said he wants to expand relations with China
02:03 alongside Guatemala's long-standing allegiance with Taiwan.
02:07 The centre-left politician Arevalo tapped into widespread public discontent with his
02:11 promises to curb crime and corruption, tackle malnutrition and bring growth to a country
02:17 that has one of the highest levels of inequality in the entire region.
02:27 [MUSIC PLAYING]
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