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The Guardian - US
The Guardian - US
World
Nina Lakhani and Jody Garcia in Guatemala City

‘Simulation of democracy’: Guatemala readies for election amid concerns of manipulation

Supporters of former presidential candidate Carlos Pineda protest after he was blocked from the ballot.
Supporters of former presidential candidate Carlos Pineda protest after he was blocked from the ballot. Photograph: Luis Echeverria/Reuters

Along the main thoroughfares that crisscross Guatemala City, campaign posters promoting almost two dozen presidential candidates are plastered on electricity poles and lamp-posts, each promising to bring prosperity and security to Central America’s most populous country.

Yet despite the plurality on display, few Guatemalans expect much to change amid mounting evidence that this Sunday’s election could be little more than a simulation of democracy.

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