by the El Reportero’s wire services
GUATEMALA CITY – The marathon for the Presidency of Guatemala enters today in its last but one day with the prospect of the victory of the novel candidate of the National Convergence Front (FCN-Nación, in Spanish), Jimmy Morales, on the balloting made on Oct. 25.
Both the comedian as his counterpart of the National Unity of Hope (UNE, in Spanish), Sandra Torres, should conclude on Friday their campaigns in order to win the sympathy of voters for next Sunday, although recent polls and analysts almost take the first candidate mentioned as the winner.
Morales, the surprise in the Guatemalan electoral process of this year, accumulated 67.9 percent of voting intentions against the 32.1 percent obtained by the former first lady during the government of Álvaro Colom (2008-2012), according to the results of a survey developed by the company ProDatos.
The research, conducted from Oct. 9 to 14, confirmed a 35 percentage points advantage in favor of the one linked to the questioned Military Veterans Association of Guatemala (Avemilgua, in Spanish).
If what this study reflects is correct, the comedian, known for his character Neto would be the fourth president with more electoral support in this country since the end of the armed conflict (1979-1985).
According to analysts, the variables that can influence the decision of registered Guatemalans are the ideological stance of the candidates, their ability to attract the votes of other parties, the antivote and the dichotomy between experience and inexperience between Morales and Torres.
Mexican Chamber of Deputies for end of blockade against Cuba
MEXICO – The Chamber of Deputies approved an agreement requesting the permanent representative of Mexico before the United Nations to vote for the lifting of the US blockade against Cuba, it was known today.
The agreement was presented by the Board of Political Coordination (Jucopo) and backed in the plenary session.
In a regular session the Mexican representative to the UN was asked to use his powers, in line with Mexico’s foreign policy principles, to demand the end of the US economic, commercial and financial blockade on Cuba.
“It is unnecessary to say that this measure threatens the sovereignty of nations and has been an atrocious practice against a neighbor country, which has caused damages for ovr 50 years,” said deputy of Movimiento Ciudadano, Jose Clemente Castaneda
More than 30 people involved in Chapo’s escape in Mexico
MEXICO – At least 34 people, including former officials took part in the escape of Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman, informed today a senior of the Mexican security cabinet.
Gustavo Salas, Deputy Attorney of the Specialized Investigation of Organized Crime (Seido) stated at a press interview that 29 of those involved were consigned to judge.
There are former public officers who participated inside the prison and outside. He acknowledged that many of them have not been arrested yet.
Salas described as willful omission the actions of the prison authorities to allow unauthorized movements to the Sinaloa cartel chief, who escaped on July 11 from the high-security prison of Altiplano.
If any of them had performed their work as they should to activate the Red Code, the inmate would not have been able to escape, he said.
Salas explained that according to the testimonies, the noises were of knowledge of the then General Coordinator of the Federal Prison System, Celina Oseguera and the prison director, Valentin Cardenas, who far from investigating where they came from, allowed waterproofing works to be done on the ceiling of the area where El Chapo was to disguise the hammering from the tunnel.
