Guatemala dark horse Arevalo wins presidential election
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00:00 On the streets of Guatemala City, jubilation among supporters of Bernardo Aravago,
00:06 as Guatemala's Supreme Electoral Tribunal called him the "virtual winner" of the country's presidential election,
00:12 garnering 58% of votes, with 99% of the ballots counted.
00:17 "Thank you to the people of Guatemala.
00:22 Thank you because this triumph is not ours alone.
00:25 This victory is also for the people of Guatemala.
00:29 And now we stand united in the fight against corruption."
00:36 That fight against corruption was central to Aravago's campaign.
00:41 Though the 64-year-old sociologist is himself the son of a former president,
00:46 he was a relatively little-known outsider heading into the first round of voting in June.
00:51 He ramped up his anti-graft message as the Guatemalan judiciary barred several opposition candidates
00:57 being viewed as threats to the political establishment,
01:01 those disqualifications in turn clearing a path for Aravago's long-shot bid.
01:07 Poverty, gang violence and endemic corruption push thousands of Guatemalans to flee their country for the U.S. each year.
01:14 Some, though, now say Aravago's surprise victory has given them new hope.
01:20 "I never thought I would get to live this moment in Guatemala of seeing spring arrive.
01:25 It's a moment I've waited for for a long time and I didn't think it would happen."
01:31 Aravago is likely to face ongoing efforts to keep him from taking office on January 14th,
01:38 including an investigation by the attorney general aimed at canceling the legal status of his political party.