Idol Brings A Ray of Hope for Guatemala

On September 9th there were few surprises in Guatemala. The two candidates that had been leading the polls since the beginning of the electoral campaigns, Alvaro Colom and Otto Perez Molina, didn’t get enough votes to declare victory and will go on to a second electoral round to be held on November 4th. Voters will now have to choose between, what the 3rd runner-up called two terminal diseases, referring to Alvaro Colom’s suspected links with the drug trade and Otto Perez Molina’s military status and involvement during Guatemala’s civil war. Although expectations for the next presidential term are low there is great hope that some of the problems plaguing the country like violence, poverty and lack of education will see an improvement in the future.

On the other hand, a seemingly trivial event like Latin American Idol has managed to bring more hope and pride to Guatemala than any political party: Guatemalan contestant Carlos Pena was declared winner in the Latin American version of Idol held in Argentina last Thursday. On Monday October 1st he was received by thousands of fans, as well as President Oscar Berger and Guatemala City’s mayor Alvaro Arzu. Carlos Pena has quickly become a symbol of hope and hard work and many consider him an inspiration.

This article was posted by Yvonne Faass, our editor in Guatemala.