The president of Guatemala, Bernardo Arévalo de León, was finally sworn in in the early hours of Monday morning after a marathon day full of incidents and several months of uncertainty, in which the Public Prosecutor's Office tried to prevent him from coming to power.
The inauguration was scheduled for Sunday afternoon, but was delayed by more than 10 hours and several heads of state, including Spain's King Felipe VI, left the country without being able to witness the ceremony.
What should have been a succession of formal steps dragged on for hours and even cast doubt on Arévalo's assumption, initially due to misunderstandings in parliament about whether the elected deputies were in legal condition to take office and, tied to that, to the designation of authorities, in the midst of overflows of security controls due to demonstrations.
Arévalo, born in Uruguay, began his administration at a ceremony at the Miguel Ángel Asturias Cultural Center to complete a 4-year term until 2028.
The president of Congress, Samuel Pérez, announced the investiture of the vice president, Karin Herrera, and then Arévalo took office with the delivery of the insignia of command that had been left by the outgoing president, Alejandro Giammattei.
The former president did not appear in person at the National Theater for the handover ceremony and delivered the institutional symbols through his secretary.
His vice president, Guillermo Castillo, with whom he has been estranged since 2020, was present at the ceremony and handed over his position to the chemical biologist Karin Herrera.
King Felipe VI poses with the new president of the Republic of Guatemala, Bernardo Arévalo. Photo: EFE.
Meanwhile, the website of the Presidency of Guatemala announced today on its website that information on the management of Bernardo Arevalo "will be available soon", where they plan to disseminate "detailed information on the public policies that are transforming Guatemala and how the social commitment of Bernardo Arevalo is driving positive change".
"You will explore his vision for the future of the nation, as well as the importance of citizen participation in this journey to a stronger and more equitable country," said the announcement on a blue background posted to users.
The new president of Guatemala, Bernardo Arévalo de León, greets during his inauguration ceremony. Photo: EFE.
Arévalo's administration promises to "shape the future of Guatemala" to "encourage the active participation of the community in the construction of a better tomorrow," as announced by the official website of the presidency that envisions a "journey towards a more prosperous and hopeful Guatemala."
The deputy of Arévalo de León's party, Samuel Pérez Álvarez, was also elected president of the Guatemalan Congress for the period 2024-2025 on Sunday, after reaching agreements with different benches and adding the necessary 90 votes.