Guatemala elects president who called Trump immigration deal 'bad news'

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Guardian

Alejandro Giammattei has criticised US president’s accord, which would turn country into buffer zone to cut migration

Reuters

Mon 12 Aug 2019 00.57 EDT

Conservative Alejandro Giammattei has swept aside his centre-left rival in Guatemala’s presidential election and inherits an unpopular migration deal agreed with the Trump administration that could severely test his country.

With preliminary results from over 95% of the polling stations counted on Sunday night, the electoral tribunal declared Giammattei the winner with almost 59% of the vote, ahead of his centre-left rival, former first lady Sandra Torres, on 41%.

“It will be an immense honour to be president of this country that I love so much,” Giammattei told a crowd of cheering supporters at a news conference in Guatemala City. “We will rebuild Guatemala. I have no words to say how grateful I am.”

The next president takes office in January. By then Guatemala may be bogged down in the accord reached at the behest of Donald Trump which aims to turn the troubled Central American country into a buffer zone to stem migration.

Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/aug/12/guatemala-elects-president-alejandro-giammattei-who-called-trump-immigration-deal-bad-news