Guatemalan Women Running for the Highest Office

Guatemala has had women compete for the presidency in three of the last four elections. In 1995, Flor de María Alvarado was the presidential candidate for Popular Democratic Force (FDP). In 1999, the New Guatemala Democratic Front (FDNG) supported Catalina Soberanis Reyes. And Rigoberta Menchu Tum was the candidate for the Winaq Political Movement in 2007. None of the women fared exceptionally well on election day.

This year, while most of the world's attention is on Sandra Torres' sacrifice, several other women competing for the highest office.

Former Minister of the Interior Adela Torrebiarte leads the Accion de Dessarrollo Nacional (ADN). Rigoberta Menchú is again likely to be a candidate for Winaq, a political party as of a few weeks ago. Patricia Arzú will represent the Unionist Party. She is the wife of the current mayor of Guatemala City and former president of the country, Álvaro Arzú. Finally, Zury Ríos is the daughter of former dictator Efraín Ríos. Like her father before, she will represent the Guatemala Republican Front (FRG).

Flor de María Alvarado is supposedly running again, but I can't find details. Perhaps she is running with the FDP again. Nineth Montenegro of the Encounter for Guatemala was sought after for the VP slot, but I think that she has settled on going back to congress.

The scholars interviewed in the El Periodico article seem to agree that Guatemala is ready for a female president but would like to see the women develop a platform that includes the empowerment of women.

Virgilio Alvarez from FLACSO divides the women into two divisions. Those who have used their personality and work ethic to make a name for themselves (Menchu, Torrebiarte, Montenegro and Torres) and those who are riding the coattails of men (Baldetti, Rios, and Arzú).

As of today, Torres appears to be the only woman likely to have a fighting chance at the presidency. However, given that Roxana Baldetti is Otto Perez Molina's vice presidential runningmate for the Patriotic Party, Guatemala is almost guaranteed to have a woman occupy the presidency or vice presidency after September's election. 

(See also Eduardo Villatoro)