Bernardo Arévalo | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Official portrait, 2024 | |
| 52nd President of Guatemala | |
| Assumed office 14 January 2024 | |
| Vice President | Karin Herrera |
| Preceded by | Alejandro Giammattei |
| Member of theCongress of Guatemala | |
| In office 14 January 2020 – 14 January 2024 | |
| Constituency | National List |
| Guatemalan Ambassador to Spain | |
| In office 1995–1996 | |
| President | Ramiro de León Carpio |
| Personal details | |
| Born | César Bernardo Arévalo de León (1958-10-07)7 October 1958 (age 67) Montevideo, Uruguay |
| Nationality | Guatemalan |
| Political party | Movimiento Semilla[1] |
| Spouse(s) | |
| Children | 6 (3 stepchildren) |
| Parents |
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| Alma mater | |
| Occupation |
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| Signature |  |
| Website | Campaign website |
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Political career
Presidency Elections Family | ||
César Bernardo Arévalo de León ([beɾˈnaɾ.ðoaˈɾe.βa.lo]; born 7 October 1958)[2] is a Guatemalan diplomat,sociologist, writer, and politician serving as the 52nd and currentpresident of Guatemala since 2024. A member and co-founder of theSemilla party, he previously served as a deputy in theCongress of Guatemala from 2020 to 2024, asAmbassador to Spain from 1995 to 1996 and asDeputy Minister of Foreign Affairs from 1994 to 1995.[3]
Arévalo was born inMontevideo,Uruguay, during the exile of his father, former presidentJuan José Arévalo. He graduated fromHebrew University of Jerusalem with a Bachelor of Arts degree in sociology. In the 1980s, Arévalo joined theMinistry of Foreign Affairs. He held several key positions, including Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Ambassador to Spain. After his diplomatic service, he joinedInterpeace, where he served as an advisor on conflict resolution. Later, he graduated fromUtrecht University with a doctorate in philosophy and social anthropology. Arévalo returned to Guatemala as a result of the2015 protests, where he co-founded an analysis group that later became theMovimiento Semilla political party. He was elected as a member of the Congress in the2019 election, then as Secretary-General of the party in 2022.
Arévalo was nominated as a presidential candidate in the2023 general election and, surprisingly qualified for thesecond round, triggering accusations of electoral fraud and a judicial investigation into his party and its members, threatening the election results, which was widely condemned nationally and internationally. He defeated formerfirst ladySandra Torres in the second round on 20 August 2023.[4] His electoral victory made him the first son of a former Guatemalan president to be elected as president and the second individual not born in Guatemala to hold the office.[5][6] TheOrganization of American States stepped in to support and facilitate thepresidential transition. Arévalowas sworn in on 15 January, following a lengthy delay in the certification of the results by the outgoing legislature of Congress.[7]
Arévalo's administration has been characterized by the implementation of primarily symbolic measures and by moderate legislative achievements in agriculture, health, economy, and infrastructure. Progress has also been recorded in education, labor, foreign relations, tourism, culture, and sports. He has faced strong opposition from the judiciary, the Congress of the Republic and theestablishment. However, factors such as government inexperience, political miscalculations, the rising cost of living, and persistent violence have weakened his administration, leading to a decline in popularity and to widespread perceptions of a limited or ineffective government.
Arévalo was born on 7 October 1958 inMontevideo, Uruguay, the son ofJuan José Arévalo (1904–1990), the formerPresident of Guatemala between 1945 and 1951, and his second wife, Margarita de León (born in 1925). At the time of Arévalo's birth, his father was living in political exile in South America following the1954 Guatemalan coup d'état.[8]
Arévalo's family left Uruguay when he was less than two years old, and he spent parts of his childhood living in Venezuela, Mexico, and Chile. He went to Guatemala for the first time at the age of 15 to study at the Liceo Guatemala, a private Catholic school inGuatemala City.[8]
While his father was serving as the Ambassador of Guatemala to Israel, Arévalo attended and graduated from theHebrew University of Jerusalem in Israel with a bachelor's degree in sociology. At the Hebrew University, he studied the history of Christianity in Latin America.[9] He then obtained a doctorate in philosophy and social anthropology fromUtrecht University in the Netherlands.[3]
Arévalo joined theMinistry of Foreign Affairs during the 1980s as a diplomat. Between 1984 and 1986, he was the first secretary and consul at the Guatemalan embassy in Israel and subsequently acted as minister counselor from 1987 to 1988.[8]
In 1988, Arévalo returned to Guatemala, where he was appointed deputy director of strategic studies and planning, again within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He went on to serve as director of bilateral foreign policy from 1990 to 1991, international bilateral relations from 1992 to 1993, and international economic and multilateral relations from 1993 to 1994.[8]
In 1994, PresidentRamiro de León Carpio appointed Arévalo Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, a role Arévalo held until 1995.[3] During his time as deputy minister,Ernesto Zedillo, thePresident of Mexico, decorated Arévalo with theOrder of the Aztec Eagle in 1995.[10]
In 1995, Foreign MinisterAlejandro Maldonado appointed Arévalo as Guatemala's ambassador to Spain; that same year, he presented his credentials to KingJuan Carlos I. In 1996, Arévalo left his position as ambassador as well as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.[8]
After leaving his career as a diplomat, Arévalo served on theCenter for Mesoamerican Regional Research (CIRMA) [es] board and acted as its president. From 1999, Arévalo held various roles atInterpeace, including advising on peacebuilding and conflict resolution in Africa, Asia, and Latin America.[8][11]
In addition to his peacekeeping work, Arévalo also worked as an advisor to organizations, including the United Nations, theUnited States Institute of Peace, and theUniversity of San Diego. He has written books and articles on history, politics, sociology, and diplomacy.[8]
In 2015, Arévalo took part in the2015 Guatemalan protests demanding the resignation of PresidentOtto Pérez Molina. Shortly after the demonstrations, Arévalo was among a group of intellectuals who formed Semilla, a think tank that subsequently was developed into the political party Movimiento Semilla in 2017.[12]
Arévalo was announced as the preferred candidate for Semilla for the 2019 presidential election but ultimately declined the candidacy. He was succeeded byThelma Aldana, who was eventually prohibited from running.[13] Arévalo instead ran as a candidate for Congress on the national list and was elected as a congressman in the first round of the 2019 general election, becoming one of seven candidates from the Semilla party to win a seat for the IX Congressional legislature. Taking office on 14 January 2020, he served on several committees on foreign affairs, governance, human rights, national security, and national defense and led the Semilla parliamentary bloc between 2020 and 2022.[2] In 2022, he was elected as the Secretary-General Semilla, succeedingSamuel Pérez Álvarez.[14]
During his four years as a Deputy, Arévalo took on the role of a rapporteur for several bills. These bills dealt with various issues such as cutting off cellular connections to prisons, extending social security benefits to migrants, deputies, and workers in the informal sector, providing stricter penalties for those who abuse animals, and regulating the prices of pharmaceutical products.[15][16][17][18][19]
During theCOVID-19 pandemic, Arévalo and the other members of the Semilla party introduced a bill that would have provided temporary relief to the populace. The bill proposed a budget of 10 million quetzals, with each person receiving 1500 quetzals per month for the duration of the pandemic.[20] In March 2022, Arévalo was the rapporteur for a legislative proposal calling on PresidentAlejandro Giammattei to take action against Russia following itsinvasion of Ukraine. The proposal included the cancellation of the mining license of theCompañía Guatemalteca de Níquel, a nickel-mining company that is owned by the Russian companySolway Investment Group. In addition, the legislation called for the cancellation of the contract with the Russian government regarding theSputnik V vaccines.[21]
On 22 January 2023, Arévalo was announced as the presidential candidate for Semilla for the2023 election, running alongsideKarin Herrera as his vice-presidential running mate.[22] He was officially registered by theSupreme Electoral Tribunal on 16 February 2023. During his campaign, his supporters referred to him asTío Bernie (transl. Uncle Bernie) in reference to both his name and his similarity to American politician and former presidential candidateBernie Sanders.[23]
Arévalo's campaigning focused on addressingstate corruption and insecurity in Guatemala, as well as generating employment opportunities and promoting climate change policies.[24]
Initial polling byPrensa Libre in April 2023 showed Arévalo ranked next to last among the candidates, with 0.7% of people polled stating their intention to vote for him.[25] Subsequent polls showed support for Arévalo hovering around 2% in June and May 2023.[26][27]
During the first round of the 2023 election, Arévalo placed second among candidates with over 600,000 votes and was placed in the second-round run-off withSandra Torres, a formerfirst lady of Guatemala and candidate of theNational Unity of Hope party.[28] Arévalo placing second was described as a "surprise" byEl País andBBC News.[29][30] Semilla also received a large share of the votes, positioning it as the third largest party in the Congress of Guatemala, theCentral American Parliament, and the Guatemala City municipal government.[29]
The certification of the results was delayed due to a controversial appeal granted by the Constitutional Court to nine right-wing parties, including the ruling party,Vamos. These parties challenged the result, alleging "irregularities" and "electoral fraud" in favor of Arévalo, and went as far as to request a new election be held.[31][32] The Court ordered a new review of the contested results, which was carried out during the first week of July. The new review found no significant changes in the preliminary results.[33] Subsequently, the Supreme Court dismissed the appeal made by the parties and authorized the Supreme Electoral Court to formalize the election results.[34]
On 12 July 2023, the TSE formalized the election results; at the same time, prosecutor Rafael Curruchiche of thePublic Prosecution Service announced, at the request of Judge Fredy Orellana, the suspension of Semilla due to allegations of falsifying signatures to establish the party in 2017. Arévalo, in aCNN interview, stated that he would challenge the suspension, claiming that the court had "no legal substance" to make the order.[35] Similarly, legal experts affirmed that Orellana did not act in accordance with the country's election laws.[36][37]
On 13 July 2023, theConstitutional Court, the highest court for constitutional law, guaranteed Arévalo's participation although it was ambiguous about the status of the party, allowing the second round of the presidential election to proceed.[38] Nevertheless, demonstrations were organized calling for the resignation of Attorney GeneralMaría Consuelo Porras, prosecutor Curruchiche, and Judge Orellana.[39] Arévalo and his vice presidential candidate, Karin Herrera, were present at the demonstration and filed a criminal complaint against Curruchiche and Orellana.[40]
Members of theUnited States Congress called onJoe Biden to impose sanctions on those responsible for "threatening democracy" in Guatemala and expressed concerns about actions being taken against Arévalo's candidacy.[41] Twenty former leaders from Latin America and Spain issued a joint statement condemning attempts made to disqualify Arévalo from the election, and compared it to the recent disqualification of Venezuelan opposition leaderMaría Corina Machado.[42][43]
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The Electoral and Political Party Act restricts a political party's Secretary-General from presiding over the executive branch.[44] Accordingly, on 29 November, Arévalo renounced his affiliation with Semilla and stepped down as the party's Secretary-General.
On 8 January 2024, Arévalo and Vice President-elect Herrera held a press conference at theCentro Cultural Miguel Ángel Asturias to present the individuals who would serve as the Ministers in Arévalo's cabinet.[45] The cabinet would have been composed of seven men and seven women. However, on 10 January, two days after the announcement, Anayté Guardado, Arévalo's candidate for theMinistry of Energy and Mines, declined the nomination due to controversy that arose onX when a 2018 interview of her resurfaced that showed her support for hydroelectric plants—a contributor to deforestation in Guatemala.[46] Allegations would also arise about Guardado's involvement in the imprisonment ofBernardo Caal, an Indigenous rights activist.[47] Ultimately, Víctor Hugo Ventura Ruiz would replace Guardado as the nominee for the Ministry.[48]
Arévalo wasinaugurated as the 52nd president of Guatemala on 15 January 2024, at 12:20 amCT.[49] His inauguration was scheduled to be on 14 January but was delayed following the failure of the event's overseeing commission to approve the event's congressional delegation.[50][51] He is the first president to be the son of a former Guatemalan president and the second president to be born outside of Guatemalan territory (afterMiguel García Granados).[5]
In his first days in office, Arévalo reversed a government agreement signed by his predecessor that would have granted security and vehicles to former officials from theGiammattei cabinet for six years.[52][53]
On 18–19 January Arévalo ordered the removal of metal barriers from the presidential residency andNational Palace. These barriers were initially installed in 2016 during theJimmy Morales administration and remained underAlejandro Giammattei's mandate.[54] The Arévalo government characterized the gesture "as a symbol of accessibility and closeness" towards the populace.[55] After the removal of the railings, theMinistry of Culture and Sports reported a 43% increase in visits to the National Palace for the month of February.[56]
Between 17 January to 5 February, Arévalo and his cabinet dismissed several heads of government agencies, including the National Institute of Electrification (INDE), the Institute of Victim, and theGeneral Directorate of Civil Aeronautics. These dismissals were attributed to the fact that the agency heads were linked to "acts of corruption" or had not "efficiently fulfilled" their duties.[57][58][59] A total of 878 government employees were removed from their positions during Arévalo's first 30 days in office.[60]
On 8 February, Arévalo and Francisco Jiménez, theMinister of the Interior, announced the creation of the Special Group Against Extortion (GECE), a special force within theNational Civil Police (PNC) aimed at combatting violent crime and extortions.[61] The GECE will consist of 400 motorized officers who will patrol different regions of the country in phases. At the request of Arévalo, the United States government donated equipment to support the new task force.[62]
During his first trip as president toEurope, from 15 to 23 February, Arévalo temporarily delegated his duties to Vice President Herrera, as established by the Constitution. His itinerary included various activities and high-level meetings in different European countries. InGermany, he participated in the60th Munich Security Conference and met with German ChancellorOlaf Scholz, Bulgarian Prime MinisterNikolai Denkov, Israeli PresidentIsaac Herzog and Ukrainian PresidentVolodymyr Zelenskyy. Later, on 19 February, he arrived inFrance to meet with French PresidentEmmanuel Macron at theÉlysée Palace. The next day, inBelgium, he held meetings with the President of the European CouncilCharles Michel, and the European High Representative of Foreign AffairsJosep Borrell, thus marking the first visit by a Guatemalan president to theseat of the European Union. On 21 February, Arévalo moved toSwitzerland, where he held a meeting with the president of theInternational Olympic CommitteeThomas Bach, who confirmed the elimination of sanctions on theGuatemalan Olympic Committee. Then, on 22 February, he arrived inSpain to meet with the Prime MinisterPedro Sánchez, and attend a banquet offered by KingFelipe VI and QueenLetizia. Finally, on 24 February, Arévalo returned to the country.[63]
On 9 March 2024, Congress passed the Comprehensive Cancer Care Law, a bill that was first introduced in July 2022.[64] The act provides millions ofquetzals to theMinistry of Health to boost training and research, establish a specialized hospital, and the promotion of cancer care through early detection, prevention,palliative care, and free treatment. Arévalo signed the bill on 22 March 2024.[65]
Some analysts have detected "slowness in decision-making" during the first days of Arévalo's presidency, as well as a "lack of strategy" to achieve the departure of Attorney GeneralMaría Consuelo Porras and maintain a stable legislative alliance (which fragmented at the end of March).[66]
On 7 April 2024, Arévalo dismissedMinister of EnvironmentMaría José Iturbide. His decision came after a report was published byVox Populi on 4 April, which revealed that María Fernanda Iturbide, daughter of Minister Iturbide, had used state vehicles for personal activities.[67] The Secretary General of the Presidency published a statement on behalf of Arévalo, stating that the decision was made to "avoid any doubt about the commitment of his administration and tolerance to the misuse of State resources and corruption". On 11 April, Arévalo appointedPatricia Orantes as Iturbide's replacement.[68]
On 11 April, Arévalo together with the Minister of Infrastructure Jazmín de la Vega, the mayor of Guatemala CityRicardo Quiñónez, the United States ambassador to GuatemalaTobin Bradley and the Guatemala City councilor ofSemillaNinotchka Matute supervised the progress of the construction of the first phase ofMetro Riel, one of the priorities of the Arévalo government.[69]
On 23 April, during a public event marking the first 100 days of his government, Arévalo fulfilled one of his campaign promises by reducing the presidential salary by 25%.[70] As a result of this reduction, the head of state of Guatemala is no longer the highest-paid president inLatin America. Concurrently, Vice PresidentHerrera also announced a 25% reduction in her salary.[71]
On 4 February 2024, Arévalo announced a school remodeling program through theMinistry of Education with the aim of renovating 10,000 schools by the end of 2024.[72][73] In June 2024, the Ministry of Education reported finishing renovating 4,000 schools.[74]
On 17 May, Arévalo dismissedMinister of Communications, Infrastructure, and Housing Jazmín de la Vega. The decision was prompted by Minister Vega's authorization of payments to several construction companies that went against the terms of the government contract.[75]
On 5 May 2024, Arévalo delivered a nationally televised speech in which he called for the removal ofMaría Consuelo Porras from her position asAttorney General. In his speech, he reported his intentions to reform the organic law through Congress, so that the "Public Prosecutor's Office does not again be used as a political weapon by any government."[76][77] On 6 May, Arévalo alongside members of his cabinet walked from the National Palace to Congress to deliver the bill that allowed for the dismissal of Porras.[78] However, Congress failed to hold a plenary session for the bill, and negotiations for it stalled until August 1, when legislators would return from recess.[79]
On 31 May, Arévalo announced the expansion of energy subsidies to individuals who consumed up to 99kilowatts per month (previously 89 kilowatts).[80] The social tariff is estimated to cover 300,00 more users and will remain in effect until December 2024.[81]
Arévalo has had a tense relationship with theDaniel Ortega regime inNicaragua. On 5 September 2024, theUS State Department secured the release of 135 Nicaraguan political prisoners, and the Guatemalan government agreed to take them in.[82] In November 2024, the governments of Guatemala,Costa Rica,Panama and theDominican Republic opposed the nomination of former Nicaraguan Foreign Minister Denis Moncada as the new secretary general of theCentral American Integration System (SICA). In response, Nicaragua announced that it would retaliate.[83]
On 10 May 2024, the Arévalo administration voted in favor of upgradingPalestine's rights in theUnited Nations as an Observer State.[84]
The Arévalo government has kept its distance fromRussia, mainly because of its support forUkraine. Arévalo spoke out against Russia's inclusion as anobserver state in theCentral American Parliament, calling it "inconsistent" for a state that "does not respect the norms of international law".[85]
The Arévalo administration has maintained diplomatic relations with Taiwan and has expressed interest in maintaining them throughout his term.[86] Early in his administration, Arévalo was congratulated by a bipartisan group of U.S. senators (includedMarco Rubio andBen Cardin) for maintaining hispro-Taiwan stance.[87]
On 5 June 2025, Arévalo made a state visit to Taiwan, where he met with presidentLai Ching-te and reaffirmed Guatemala's support for Taiwan, and vowed to continue to strengthen the ties between both nations.[88]
The Arévalo administration rejected the results announced by theNational Electoral Council ofVenezuela for the2024 Venezuelan presidential election.[89] In a press conference on August 5th, Arévalo announced that his government would not recognizeNicolás Maduro as the president-elect of Venezuela.[90] He would also condemn the repression made by the Venezuelan government againstdomestic protests that broke out in the aftermath of the election.
In September 2024, he maintained telephone contact withMaría Corina Machado andEdmundo González Urrutia, where he expressed the support of the Guatemalan government. He subsequently contacted his counterpartsSantiago Peña ofParaguay andLuis Lacalle Pou ofUruguay to monitor the situation.[91]
Arévalo claims the political legacy of his father,Juan José Arévalo, and former presidentJacobo Árbenz. He has described himself as a "social democrat" and favors a republican and democratic system. He believes in a state that guarantees social justice and private property and expresses an interest in establishing a new fiscal pact and strengthening social security.[92]
One of Arévalo's campaign pledges is to adopt a "radically different" public education system. He aims to address the poor conditions found in primary and secondary schools by investingQ110 billion, which would go towards creating 70,000 new classrooms, 29.5 million textbooks, 36,000 new restrooms for faculty and students, and monthly scholarships of 3,600 for students.[93]
Arévalo favorsuniversal healthcare. He proposes a Q61 billion government budget to cover 7 million people by building 400 new health posts and 50 health centers for regions of more than 15,000 residents and isolated rural areas.[93]
Arévalo has also committed to the construction of a public hospital that specializes in cancer treatment.[93]
Arévalo is in favor of improving trade relations with China[94] but also desires to maintain diplomatic relations with Taiwan. On 20 July, in an interview withRepública, he reassured his interest in building a relationship with China based on "developing and expanding" economic relations.[95]
Arévalo has condemned the government of Nicaragua[96] and has described the governments of Nicaragua and Venezuela as "dictatorial systems".[92] In March 2022, Arévalo was the rapporteur of a legislative proposal that sought to urge PresidentAlejandro Giammattei to take action against Russia for itsinvasion of Ukraine. The proposal included the cancellation of the mining license of theCompañía Guatemalteca de Níquel, a nickel-mining company that is owned by the RussianSolway Group. In addition, the legislation called for the cancellation of the contract with the Russian government regarding theSputnik V vaccines.[97]
Arévalo has ruled out the possibility of legalizingsame-sex marriage andabortion (which is only permitted in Guatemala if the mother's life is in danger), but he has also stated that he will not tolerate discrimination due toreligion andsexual orientation.[98]
Arévalo has been married three times. In 1983, he married Argentine citizen Teresa Lapín Ganman; they divorced in 1992. The following year, Arévalo married Eva Rivara Figueroa, a fellow diplomat, with whom he had two daughters. Since 2011, Arévalo has been married toLucrecia Peinado.[99] He has three daughters and three stepchildren.[100]
In addition to his native Spanish, Arévalo speaks English, Hebrew, French, and Portuguese.[3] He is aCatholic.[98]
During the election campaign, in aTikTok video, Arévalo referred to the2009 Kanye West–Taylor Swift incident where he revealed himself to be afan ofTaylor Swift. The video quickly went viral among young voters, which successfully boosted his presidential campaign during the first round.[101]
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| Party political offices | ||
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| Preceded by | Semilla nominee for President of Guatemala 2023 | Most recent |
| Political offices | ||
| Preceded by | President of Guatemala 2024–present | Incumbent |
| Federal Republic of Central America (1823–1839); Supreme Chiefs of State | direct central rule, 1823–24 direct central rule, 1826–27 |  |
|---|---|---|
| Republic of Guatemala (since 1839); Presidents | ||
* interim;† military | ||
| International | |
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| National | |
| Academics | |
| People | |
| Other | |
