Drug cartels' ties to politics in spotlight as Guatemala votes

FILE PHOTO: Otoniel Lima, mayor of La Nueva Concepcion, poses for a photo after an interview with Reuters at the municipality of La Nueva Concepcion, Escuintla, Guatemala June 3, 2019. REUTERS/Luis Echeverria

NUEVA CONCEPCION, Guatemala (Reuters) - The mayor of Nueva Concepcion, a town on the Pacific coast of Guatemala, stands accused by prosecutors of drug trafficking and money laundering for Mexican cartels that use the coastal route to transport cocaine to the United States.

Yet Otoniel Lima, who rides around his poor municipality of 130,000 people in an armoured SUV, has immunity from prosecution until his term ends in December. And until a few days ago, the 58-year-old planned to run for reelection on Sunday.