(See Citizen Orange for more detailed picture)
The picture above shows that Colom won the vote in every single rural, poor, and indigenous department in Guatemala. While there were problems with the election I can safely say that I am proud to be a Guatemalan citizen. In my life I have only known a democratic Guatemala, and soon the country will be led by people that have known freedom instead of war.
Renata Avila of Global Voices has a compilation of the challenges Guatemalan bloggers have for the next President. Colom does not have a cakewalk in front of him, that’s for sure.
It’s been difficult to follow Guatemalan politics from abroad, but it doesn’t take much digging to highlight problems with the international press coverage of the country. U.S. press has misinterpreted a narrative of low-voter turnout that has effectively undercut the legitimacy of Colom in the eyes of the international community.
