Bernardo Arvalo won the presidency of Guatemala in 2019, but faced opposition from conservative prosecutors and politicians who sought to undermine him at every turn.
Despite facing legal attacks and an assassination plot, Arvalo has managed to maintain a strong lead in polls leading up to his inauguration on Sunday.
Guatemala is a country in Central America that has been plagued by corruption and political instability for decades.
Some fear that the political climate could become even more volatile in the coming months.
Guatemala is a country in Central America that has been plagued by corruption and political instability for decades. In 2019, the country held its presidential elections with Bernardo Arvalo winning the presidency. However, his victory was met with opposition from conservative prosecutors and politicians who sought to undermine him at every turn.
Despite facing legal attacks and an assassination plot, Arvalo has managed to maintain a strong lead in polls leading up to his inauguration on Sunday. His supporters are hopeful that he will be able to bring much-needed change and stability to the country.
However, there is still uncertainty about what lies ahead for Guatemala as Arvalo takes office. Some fear that the political climate could become even more volatile in the coming months.
Bernardo Arévalo has been elected as the President of Guatemala.
Guatemalan authorities seized ballot boxes on dubious claims of fraud and tried to dissolve the party of the winner, Bernardo Arévalo
Prosecutors under Attorney General Maria Consuelo Porras sought to suspend the legal status of Arevalo's party, citing alleged irregularities with years-old signatures used to form the party.
Guatemala has long struggled with corruption in its government.
Accuracy
Guatemala's new president will take office against the odds
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Deception
(50%)
The article is deceptive in several ways. Firstly, the author uses sensationalism by stating that Mr. Arévalo has faced an assassination plot and a barrage of legal attacks aimed at preventing him from taking office as president.
Fallacies
(85%)
The article contains several examples of informal fallacies. The author uses an appeal to authority by stating that Edgar Ortz Romero is a constitutional law expert and using his opinion as evidence for the challenges faced by Bernardo Arvalo in Guatemala. Additionally, there are multiple instances where the author presents information from sources without providing any context or analysis of their credibility, which can be seen as an example of inflammatory rhetoric.
The author uses Edgar Ortz Romero's opinion to support the challenges faced by Bernardo Arvalo in Guatemala. This is an appeal to authority fallacy.
Bias
(85%)
The article contains examples of religious bias and monetary bias. The author uses language that depicts the president-elect as a savior for democracy in Guatemala, which is an example of religious bias. Additionally, the article mentions that Mr. Arévalo's opponents have taken steps to limit his ability to spend on health care and education, two of his top priorities. This is an example of monetary bias.
Bernardo Arévalo has been given a budget for a Toyota when people want a Ferrari.
Site
Conflicts
Of
Interest (100%)
None Found At Time Of
Publication
Author
Conflicts
Of
Interest (50%)
The author has a conflict of interest on the topic of Guatemala's fragile democracy as they are reporting on an assassination plot against anti-corruption crusader Bernardo Arévalo. The article also mentions legal attacks and Alejandro Giammattei, who is likely to be a key figure in the country's politics.
Guatemala's new president will take office against the odds
The article is behind a paywall and requires registration to access it for free.
There are different subscription options available for accessing the Financial Times.
Accuracy
No Contradictions at Time
Of
Publication
Deception
(100%)
None Found At Time Of
Publication
Fallacies
(0%)
The article contains an appeal to authority fallacy. The author states that the new president of Guatemala will take office against the odds without providing any evidence or context for this claim.
]Guatemalas new president will take office against the odds[
Guatemalan President-elect Bernardo Arévalo is set to be inaugurated
`The decision of the Indigenous peoples to mobilize... was made not to defend Arévalo, but rather to defend democracy✴
✴Guatemalan sociologist Vaclav Masek said that Bernardo Arévalo has the most thankless job in Guatemala today because he arrives with exceptionally high expectations and is given a budget for a Toyota when people want a Ferrari.✴
✴Bernardo Arévalo must assert control while facing off against an alliance of conservative prosecutors, members of Congress and other political figures who have in recent years gutted Guatemala✴s governing institutions.✴
✴Edgar Ortíz Romero, a constitutional law expert said that Bernardo Arévalo has the most thankless job in Guatemala today because he arrives with exceptionally high expectations and is given a budget for a Toyota when people want a Ferrari.✴
✴Bernardo Arévalo ran on a platform of resuming the fight against corruption✴
Accuracy
Arévalo's anti-corruption stance and outsider status are perceived as threats to deep-rooted interests in Guatemala
`The decision of the Indigenous peoples to mobilize... was made not to defend Arévalo, but rather to defend democracya
Another factor that appeared to keep Ar⟃valo's inauguration on track was the early and strong support from the international community. The European Union, Organization of American States and the United States government repeatedly demanded respect for the popular vote
Deception
(50%)
The article is deceptive in several ways. Firstly, it states that Arévalo has been a target of prosecutors since his surprise second-place showing in June’s first round of voting. However, this statement is false as the author does not provide any evidence to support this claim.
The article falsely states that Arévalo has been a target of prosecutors since his surprise second-place showing in June’s first round of voting. This is false as the author does not provide any evidence to support this claim.
Fallacies
(85%)
The article contains several examples of informal fallacies. The author uses an appeal to authority by stating that the attorney general's pursuit of President-elect Arévalo is a recurring topic over dinner tables in Guatemala and that his anti-corruption stance and outsider status are threats to deep-rooted interests in the country. The author also uses inflammatory rhetoric by stating that rising crime and the economy are concerns for many Guatemalans, which could be seen as an attempt to elicit sympathy or fear from readers. Additionally, there is a dichotomous depiction of Arévalo's victory at the polls being both a successful defense of democracy and an attack on deep-rooted interests in the country.
The attorney general's pursuit of President-elect Arévalo is a recurring topic over dinner tables in Guatemala
His anti-corruption stance and outsider status are threats to deep-rooted interests in the country
Rising crime and the economy are concerns for many Guatemalans
Bias
(100%)
None Found At Time Of
Publication
Site
Conflicts
Of
Interest (50%)
The author has a conflict of interest on the topic of corruption and impunity in Guatemala as they are an employee of the Attorney General's office. They also have a personal relationship with Bernardo Arévalo as they were his campaign manager.
Author
Conflicts
Of
Interest (50%)
The author has a conflict of interest on the topic of corruption and impunity in Guatemala as they are reporting on an event related to it.
The Biden administration played a key role in helping avoid a coup in Guatemala
Guatemalan authorities seized ballot boxes on dubious claims of fraud and tried to dissolve the party of the winner, Bernardo Arévalo
Accuracy
Bernardo Arévalo must assert control while facing off against an alliance of conservative prosecutors, members of Congress and other political figures who have in recent years gutted Guatemala's governing institutions.
Guatemalan sociologist Vaclav Masek said
Another factor that appeared to keep Arévalo’s inauguration on track was the early and strong support from the international community. The European Union, Organization of American States and the United States government repeatedly demanded respect for the popular vote
Deception
(100%)
None Found At Time Of
Publication
Fallacies
(95%)
The article describes the efforts of the Biden administration to help avoid a coup in Guatemala. The author provides examples of how U.S. diplomats targeted Guatemalan politicians and influential business people with sanctions, stern public statements, and quiet arm-twisting to pressure them into supporting Arévalo's election victory. Additionally, the article describes how the European Union and Organization of American States demanded that the results be respected after court authorities suspended Arévalo's party on allegations of fraud. The author also mentions how Indigenous communities declared a nationwide strike in early October to support Arévalo, which prompted talks between them and business leaders hosted by the U.S. Embassy in Guatemala.
The Washington Post interviewed 11 current and former U.S. officials, as well as analysts and business people in Guatemala, to understand the Biden administration's maneuvering.
Bias
(85%)
The article highlights the efforts of the Biden administration to help avoid a coup in Guatemala. The author mentions that U.S diplomats played a key role in targeting Guatemalan politicians and influential business people with sanctions, stern public statements and quiet arm-twisting. This is an example of monetary bias as it shows how the US government used economic pressure to influence events in another country.
The Washington Post interviewed 11 current and former U.S officials, as well as analysts and business people in Guatemala, to understand the Biden administration's maneuvering.
Site
Conflicts
Of
Interest (100%)
None Found At Time Of
Publication
Author
Conflicts
Of
Interest (0%)
The author has multiple conflicts of interest on the topics provided. The article discusses Guatemala's election fraud and corruption, which are issues that the Biden administration is actively working to address through diplomatic efforts. Additionally, the article mentions several individuals who have been involved in previous controversies related to these issues, including Bernardo Arévalo and Miguel Martínez. The author also has a personal relationship with Eric Olson and Daniel Erikson, as they are colleagues at the Wilson Center where she works.
The article discusses how the Biden administration helped avoid a coup in Guatemala by working to address corruption through diplomatic efforts.
Guatemalan President-elect Bernardo Arevalo is poised to assume office on Sunday, following his landslide victory in the 2023 presidential elections.
All these attacks have ignited widespread outcry both within Guatemala and internationally. Indigenous leaders organized weeks of protest in the country, with some blocking highways and camping outside the attorney general's office for 100 days.
Accuracy
Arevalo nevertheless delivered a commanding victory over his run-off opponent in November 2023, earning 60 percent of the vote.
Deception
(50%)
The article is deceptive in several ways. Firstly, it presents the legal attacks against President-elect Arevalo as attempts to overturn the vote when there was no evidence of widespread voter fraud or irregularities. Secondly, it quotes Guatemalans expressing optimism for change under his administration despite ongoing protests and sanctions imposed on officials accused of undermining democracy. Thirdly, it presents a largely traditional slate of cabinet picks as if they were representative of Arevalo's progressive agenda when he had promised to appoint diverse and independent figures. Finally, the article fails to disclose or quote sources for its claims about the legal attacks against Arevalo and his allies.
Guatemalans express optimism for change under Arevalo's administration despite ongoing protests and sanctions imposed on officials accused of undermining democracy.
The article presents legal attacks against President-elect Arevalo as attempts to overturn the vote without providing evidence of widespread voter fraud or irregularities.
The article presents a largely traditional slate of cabinet picks as if they were representative of Arevalo's progressive agenda when he had promised to appoint diverse and independent figures.
Fallacies
(75%)
The article contains several examples of informal fallacies. The author uses an appeal to authority by citing the opinions of experts and analysts without providing any evidence or reasoning for their conclusions. Additionally, there are instances where the author presents a dichotomous depiction of Guatemala's political situation as either being in crisis or not, which oversimplifies complex issues. The article also contains inflammatory rhetoric by presenting quotes from protesters and critics of Arevalo that use strong language to express their opinions.
The author uses an appeal to authority when they cite the opinions of experts and analysts without providing any evidence or reasoning for their conclusions. For example, in the sentence 'Analysts question how much the uncertainty of the past months has weakened Guatemala's fragile democracy and shaken public confidence.'
The author presents a dichotomous depiction of Guatemala's political situation as either being in crisis or not. For instance, in the sentence 'Guatemalans express cautious optimism', they present this view without providing any evidence to support it.
Inflammatory rhetoric is used by presenting quotes from protesters and critics of Arevalo that use strong language to express their opinions. An example of this can be seen in the sentence 'Indigenous leaders organised weeks of protest in the country, with some blocking highways and camping outside the attorney general's office for 100 days.'
Bias
(85%)
The article discusses the legal attacks against Guatemalan President-elect Bernardo Arevalo and his party. The author cites several examples of these attacks, including attempts to suspend the legal status of Arevalo's party and raid their headquarters. These actions have raised concerns about election interference and weakened public confidence in Guatemala's fragile democracy. Additionally, the article mentions that Indigenous leaders organized weeks of protest against these attacks, while international organizations such as the United States and European Union imposed sanctions on officials accused of undermining the 2023 election. The author also quotes residents in Guatemala City about their hopes for change under Arevalo's administration.
In December, prosecutors went so far as to openly question whether to annul the 2023 election results despite assurances from the country's election authority that the tally was unalterable.
Indigenous leaders organized weeks of protest in the country, with some blocking highways and camping outside the attorney general’s office for 100 days.
In July, prosecutors sought to suspend the legal status of Arevalo’s party, citing alleged irregularities with years-old signatures used to form the party.
Prosecutors also pursued court orders to raid the party’s headquarters and offices of Guatemala's election authority.
The United States and European Union imposed sanctions on officials accused of undermining the 2023 election.
Site
Conflicts
Of
Interest (100%)
None Found At Time Of
Publication
Author
Conflicts
Of
Interest (0%)
Jeff Abbott has conflicts of interest on the topics Guatemala, election, corruption and legal attacks. He is a member of Sandra Torres' political party.
