May 2015 Guatemalan vice presidential election

Vice presidential elections were held in Guatemala on 14 May 2015. Baldetti resigned from her post as vice president on May 8, 2015, after a U.N. anti-corruption investigation arrested 24 individuals, including her personal secretary Juan Carlos Monzón Rojas, for involvement in an import bribery scheme known as La Línea (the Line) in which officials received bribes to reduce duties paid by importers.[1] Baldetti was detained on fraud charges on August 21, 2015, while at the hospital.[2][3][4] Reportedly, wiretaps of those implicated in the scandals appears to refer to her involvement with references to "the R", "the No.2" and "the lady." Her arrest was followed by allegations by prosecutor Thelma Aldana against President Molina, and protests calling for his resignation.[5]

May 2015 Guatemalan vice presidential election

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Nominee Alejandro Maldonado Adela de Torrebiarte Adrián Zapata
Party Independent Independent Independent
Electoral vote 115 10 2
Percentage 75.7% 6.9% 1.4%

Vice President before election

Roxana Baldetti
PP

Elected Vice President

Alejandro Maldonado
Independent

Maldonado was elected Vice President by Congress on May 14, 2015, after his predecessor, Roxana Baldetti, resigned amid allegations of corruption. Before becoming vice president, he served as a constitutional judge, congressional deputy, ambassador to the United Nations, and political leader, including a failed presidential bid in 1982.[6][7] He was Minister of Education from 1970 to 1974 and Minister of Foreign Affairs from 1995 to 1996.

Candidates

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Results

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Candidate Party first round votes of discourage
Alejandro Maldonado PP—Lider—Todos—PRI—VIVA—UCN—Creo—Gana—EG—Independients 115 29
Adela de Torrebiarte UNE 10 134
Adrián Zapata URNG Winaq 2 142
Carlos Contreras Eliminated
Oliverio García Rodas Eliminated
No votes 14
Total 158

References

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  1. ^ Malkin, Elisabeth (May 10, 2015). "Roxana Baldetti's Resignation as Vice President Shadows Guatemala Politics". New York Times. Retrieved 24 August 2015.
  2. ^ "Guatemala: ex-Vice-President Baldetti held on fraud charges". BBC News. Retrieved 21 August 2015.
  3. ^ "Guatemala prosecutors seek to impeach president after ex-VP's arrest". Reuters. Retrieved 21 August 2015.
  4. ^ Michael D McDonald (21 August 2015). "Ex-Guatemala Vice President Baldetti Arrested in Tax Fraud Probe". Bloomberg. Retrieved 21 August 2015.
  5. ^ "Guatemala: ex-Vice-President Baldetti held on fraud charges". BBC. August 21, 2015. Retrieved 24 August 2015.
  6. ^ "Guatemala congress taps Alejandro Maldonado Aguirre VP after Roxana Baldetti resigns in wake of customs scandal". New York Daily News. May 14, 2015. Retrieved May 17, 2015.
  7. ^ "Jurist Chosen as Guatemala's New VP". Latin American Herald Tribune. May 16, 2015. Retrieved May 17, 2015.