Guatemala needs the resolve to break privileges, confront political-criminal mafias and return the state to its people. Roberto Arzú is that voice.
The case Roberto Arzú is making in Washington and across the hemisphere — why democracy in Guatemala matters, and what it will take to defend it.
For those of us who believe in freedom and democracy, what happened in Nicaragua, Venezuela and Cuba is a tragedy. When people lose the right to choose their leaders, corrupt dictators take control and use power to enrich themselves.
These countries are a warning for all of Latin America. Democracy can disappear if authoritarian leaders are allowed to concentrate power.
Guatemala faced a similar threat. Former President Alejandro Giammattei blocked Roberto Arzú's candidacy because he feared accountability and wanted a president who would protect his interests.
Corrupt elites hide behind the language of freedom, democracy and free markets while capturing the government, protecting monopolies and profiting through corruption and ties to organized crime.
That is why Roberto Arzú's candidacy was vetoed. The goal was to protect a system that has benefited the same elites for decades.
Those same interests continue manipulating Guatemala's democracy. They present themselves as defenders of liberty or conservatism, but their real objective is preserving a corrupt system.
In the United States, many people talk about the “Deep State” and President Trump's effort to drain the swamp. In Guatemala, we have a similar network called the Pact of the Corrupt, which protects those who abuse power.
That is why Roberto Arzú is in Washington. Americans and Guatemalans share the same goals: secure borders, less illegal migration, fighting drug trafficking and organized crime, free markets and genuine democracy. Those shared interests should strengthen our partnership.
Another major threat to the security of our hemisphere is transnational gangs. The United States has recognized MS-13 and Barrio 18 as serious threats, and Roberto Arzú fully shares President Bukele's firm, zero-tolerance approach to defeating them.
Our proposal goes even further. We support military-run prisons where gang members work to pay for their own upkeep. And for gang leaders who are convicted, with full due process, of crimes such as murder, kidnapping, rape or extortion, we support applying the death penalty, as permitted under Guatemala's Constitution.
More than three decades of business experience in the service of Guatemala. Roberto Arzú stands directly against corruption and entrenched privilege.
Roberto Arzú's line of thought: fighting corruption, jobs, security and national recovery.
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ExploreRoberto Arzú García-Granados is a Guatemalan businessman and political figure with a track record marked by leadership, a development vision and a public stance of direct confrontation against the structures that have held Guatemala back.
In 2019 Roberto Arzú earned roughly 267,000 votes in the presidential election, cementing his position as a national figure able to connect with a frustrated electorate.
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