Guatemala body ratifies presidential vote result amid new bid to thwart victor

Guatemalan President-elect Bernardo Arevalo attends a press conference after prosecutors ordered a temporary suspension of Semilla party's legal registration, in Guatemala City, Guatemala August 28, 2023. REUTERS/Cristina Chiquin

GUATEMALA CITY (Reuters) -Guatemala's supreme electoral tribunal on Monday ratified the victory of center-left candidate Bernardo Arevalo in the country's presidential election, although a new bid to suspend his party sowed fresh confusion about the fraught process.

Arevalo, a 64-year-old ex-diplomat and son of a former president, resoundingly won the Aug. 20 second-round run-off after prosecutors had earlier threatened to bar his party, Semilla, from the election, prompting an international outcry.