GUATEMALA CITY (AP) 鈥 Guatemala鈥檚 largest military veteran organization endorsed presidential candidate Sandra Torres Tuesday after battling her during her first two bids for the presidency, showing just how far her progressive opponent鈥檚 surprise place in the runoff has shaken the country鈥檚 politics.
Torres and her hosts at the Guatemalan Military Veterans Association painted her opponent Bernardo Ar茅valo as a threat to the country鈥檚 democracy and families.
As she did during their first debate the previous night, Torres criticized Ar茅valo for not really knowing his country because he was born in Uruguay when his father, former President Juan Jos茅 Ar茅valo, was in exile after the CIA-backed overthrow of his successor Jacobo Arbenz.
鈥淭oday more than ever Guatemala is in danger,鈥 Torres said, warning that Ar茅valo would dissolve the army, legalize same-sex marriage and expropriate private property. 鈥淲e don鈥檛 want communism in Guatemala.鈥
Ar茅valo, a lawmaker, academic and former diplomat, has not said he would do any of those things, but the threat played well with the veterans in the crowd, who cheered and chanted in response. when he won the second spot in the runoff during a first round of voting June 25, because his Seed Movement party had been polling at less than 3%.
Guatemalans will vote Sunday for Torres, who lost in runoffs twice already, or for the newcomer Ar茅valo.
Retired Col. Edwin Gonz谩lez said the association represents some 380,000 veterans across Guatemala. 鈥淲e鈥檙e talking about an important electoral force,鈥 he said.
When asked why the association was now praising Torres after working against her during two previous campaigns, Gonz谩lez said she was the 鈥渂etter option.鈥 since her days as first lady in the center-left government of her then-husband 脕lvaro Colom.
鈥淭oday we鈥檙e at the point where we have two candidates and one is a threat,鈥 Gonz谩lez said referring to Ar茅valo鈥檚 Seed Movement.
The top threat, he said, was the possibility of same-sex marriage. Another its that a number of Guatemalan veterans have been prosecuted for war crimes during the country's 36-year civil war and they are concerned an Ar茅valo administration could push more.
鈥淥nce again the veterans are coming out to save our country and if we have to go back to what we were before (active duty) to defend Guatemala we鈥檙e going to do it,鈥 Gonz谩lez said.
But not everyone listening was convinced.
Seated at the back of the open patio where Torres spoke, Antonio Hern谩ndez L贸pez said he liked Torres鈥 proposals to do more for veterans and protect Guatemala鈥檚 conservative values, but said he would spend more time thinking about it and discussing it with his family before deciding who he will vote for Sunday.
The retired 57-year-old army nurse said he liked that Torres appeared to be the opposite of Ar茅valo, but he didn鈥檛 believe everything she was saying about her opponent, recognizing it as 鈥減olitics.鈥 He also doubted whether Torres would really help veterans even if she wanted to, because such aid would have to pass congress.
The about-face by the veterans' association also wasn't lost on him.
鈥淚t's ugly,鈥 Hern谩ndez said.
