GUATEMALA CITY, July 7, 2023 (BSS/AFP) - A review of Guatemala's June 25
presidential election, which had sparked international consternation over the
possible undermining of democracy, has been completed, officials said
Thursday.

In a surprise outcome, two social-democrats -- Sandra Torres and Bernardo
Arevalo -- came out on top of last month's first voting round.

Opponents from nine right-wing parties had appealed the result to Guatemala's
constitutional court, alleging election irregularities.

The court then ordered the Supreme Electoral Tribunal (TSE), which oversees
voting in Guatemala, to suspend the "officialization" of the results,
prompting rebukes from election observers as well as the United States and
European Union.

On Monday, the TSE said a review of polling records would start Tuesday at
its operations center in Guatemala City, which AFP observed was under heavy
guard by police and soldiers.

A TSE official, who spoke under condition of anonymity, confirmed to AFP that
the review had been completed on Thursday.

TSE president Irma Palencia, speaking to reporters later, would not say
whether the review had been completed, but said her agency was "guaranteeing
the custody of the vote, as well as transparent and efficient elections."

She said that only "a very low percentage" difference had been found between
the data disclosed last week by the TSE and the results of the review
process.

The review must be finalized before winners of June's election are officially
announced.

Several sources, including multiple parties that requested the review, told
AFP that the recount confirmed the initial outcome of Torres and Arevalo in
first and second place, respectively.

Unless the outcome is overturned, they will compete in a runoff on August 20
-- meaning Guatemala will have its first president from the political left in
more than a decade.

Torres is the ex-wife of former president Alvaro Colom and Arevalo is the son
reformist former president Juan Jose Arevalo.

The US Department of State had said Sunday it was "deeply concerned" by the
court ruling that suspended the election certification.

The Organization of American States had also expressed concern, saying there
was "no reason" to suspect voter fraud, while the EU urged political parties
to respect the will of the people.

On Wednesday, Guatemalan Indigenous leaders called for the results of the
election to be respected, warning that they could "mobilize the population"
if courts continued to intervene.

Indigenous people make up 42 percent of the 17.6 million Guatemalans.