'Regime Change' Guatemala President Inauguration: "Democracy Has the Power to Resist"

Bernardo Ar?valo (right), the newly appointed President of Guatemala, and Vice President Karin Laresa Herrera wave to attendees at the inauguration ceremony held on the 15th (local time) at the National Theater in Guatemala City.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

Bernardo Ar?valo, the president-elect of Guatemala, took the oath of office on the 15th (local time). He said, "Our democracy has the power to resist, and through unity and trust, we can change the political landscape of Guatemala."

According to foreign media including AFP, President Ar?valo took the oath of office past midnight, about 9 hours later than the originally scheduled time the day before. In his inaugural speech, President Ar?valo said, "The political crisis we are experiencing offers an opportunity for change," adding, "The responsibility we bear today will define the future of the next generation."

He stated, "Human rights violations will never happen again," and "We will not allow the country to be controlled by corruption and impunity practices." Furthermore, regarding immigration issues, he emphasized, "We will treat Guatemalan immigrants with dignity, respect, and compassion, just as they should be treated abroad."

Before the inauguration ceremony, he posted on X (formerly Twitter) that it was "time to celebrate a new spring for Guatemala." President Ar?valo has presented himself as a defender of democracy and a leader of a progressive movement aiming to reshape the political landscape long dominated by the conservative camp. Guatemalan voters, tired of corruption in various sectors, are enthusiastic about him.

President Ar?valo, a former diplomat, is ideologically a left-leaning politician. After finishing second in the first round of the presidential election, he comfortably won the runoff held in August last year, defeating the center-right candidate Sandra Torres by more than 20 percentage points.

Kim Jeong-jae, a member of the People Power Party and chairman of the Korea-Guatemala Parliamentary Friendship Association, attended President Ar?valo’s inauguration as a special envoy representing the South Korean government.

According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Special Envoy Kim met with President Ar?valo and delivered President Yoon Suk-yeol’s congratulatory message along with a presidential letter.

Special Envoy Kim called for strengthening friendly and cooperative relations between the two countries based on shared values such as freedom, democracy, and human rights, and requested the Guatemalan government’s attention and support for Korean companies and the Korean community in Guatemala.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs explained that this special envoy visit "provided an opportunity to continue and develop a close cooperative relationship with the new Ar?valo administration based on traditional friendly cooperation."