Ex-General Wins Guatemalan Election

[bemildred]

(GUATEMALA CITY) — In the end, tradition trumped rising enthusiasm for a youthful populist.

Guatemalans have once again elected as their new leader the presidential candidate who lost the previous election, something they have done since democracy returned to the Central American country in 1986.

Retired general and former intelligence director Otto Perez Molina of the conservative Patriotic Party won an easy and early victory on Sunday in a runoff race against tycoon-turned-political populist Manuel Baldizon of the Democratic Freedom Revival party. Perez garnered 54 percent of the vote to Baldizon's 46 percent.

It was exactly as the polls had predicted, though many distrusted them and felt a last-minute surge by Baldizon would make the race tight.

http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,2098794,00.html

[naaman fletcher]

1. Menchu got 3.22%

according to wikileaks http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guatemalan_general_election,_2011

Are indigenous in Guatemala only 3.22% of the population, or do the indigenous there not think of highly of her as she is thought of on DU?

[Judi Lynn]

2. For a rational, mature comment or two on this subject, see LBN:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x5050750