"Guatemala's Bernardo Arevalo Inaugurated as President Despite Opposition"

Guatemala's new President Bernardo Arevalo, a former lawmaker, diplomat, and sociologist, was sworn in after a last-ditch effort to prevent his inauguration. Arevalo, an anti-corruption crusader, promised to fight corruption and stand firm against global authoritarianism, vowing not to allow institutions to be bent by corruption and impunity. He inherits a country ranked 30th out of 180 countries by Transparency International for corruption and faces the challenge of addressing high rates of violent crime and inequality, which have driven many to risk the perilous migrant journey to the United States. U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris congratulated Arevalo and expressed the Biden administration's commitment to strengthening the U.S.-Guatemala relationship and addressing the root causes of migration.