Bernardo Arévalo facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Bernardo Arévalo
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Official portrait, 2024
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| 52nd President of Guatemala | |
| Assumed office 15 January 2024 |
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| Vice President | Karin Herrera |
| Preceded by | Alejandro Giammattei |
| Member of the Congress of Guatemala | |
| In office 14 January 2020 – 14 January 2024 |
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| Constituency | National List |
| Guatemalan Ambassador to Spain | |
| In office 1995–1996 |
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| President | Ramiro de León Carpio |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
César Bernardo Arévalo de León
7 October 1958 Montevideo, Uruguay |
| Nationality | Guatemalan |
| Political party | Movimiento Semilla |
| Spouses |
Teresa Lapín
(m. 1983; div. 1992)Eva Rivara Figueroa
(m. 1993; div. 2004)Lucrecia Peinado
(m. 2011) |
| Children | 6 (3 stepchildren) |
| Parent |
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| Alma mater | |
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| Signature |  |
César Bernardo Arévalo de León (born 7 October 1958) is a Guatemalan diplomat, sociologist, writer, and politician. He is the 52nd and current president of Guatemala since 2024. He is a member and co-founder of the Semilla political party. Before becoming president, he was a deputy (like a representative) in the Congress of Guatemala from 2020 to 2024. He also served as Ambassador to Spain from 1995 to 1996.
Bernardo Arévalo is the son of a former Guatemalan president, Juan José Arévalo. He won the 2023 presidential election on 20 August 2023. His victory made him the first child of a former Guatemalan president to also become president. He is also the second president not born in Guatemala.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Bernardo Arévalo was born on 7 October 1958 in Montevideo, Uruguay. His father, Juan José Arévalo, was the President of Guatemala from 1945 to 1951. At the time of Bernardo's birth, his father was living away from Guatemala for political reasons.
His family left Uruguay when he was very young. He lived in Venezuela, Mexico, and Chile during his childhood. He first came to Guatemala when he was 15 years old to study at a private school in Guatemala City.
Arévalo later studied at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem in Israel. He earned a bachelor's degree in sociology. He then got a doctorate in philosophy and social anthropology from Utrecht University in the Netherlands.
Diplomatic Career
Arévalo started his career as a diplomat in the 1980s. He worked for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. From 1984 to 1986, he was a secretary and consul at the Guatemalan embassy in Israel. He then served as a minister counselor from 1987 to 1988.
In 1988, Arévalo returned to Guatemala. He held several important roles in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In 1994, President Ramiro de León Carpio made him Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs. He held this role until 1995.
In 1995, he became Guatemala's ambassador to Spain. He left this position and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1996.
Professional Work
After his diplomatic career, Arévalo worked for the Center for Mesoamerican Regional Research. He also held different roles at Interpeace, an organization that helps build peace. He advised on solving conflicts in Africa, Asia, and Latin America.
Arévalo also advised organizations like the United Nations. He has written books and articles on history, politics, and sociology.
Political Journey
In 2015, Arévalo joined protests asking for the president to resign. After these protests, he helped form Semilla, a group that later became the Movimiento Semilla political party in 2017.
Arévalo was considered a candidate for president in 2019 but decided not to run. Instead, he ran for Congress and was elected in 2019. He became a congressman on 14 January 2020. He worked on committees for foreign affairs, human rights, and national security. He also led his party's group in Congress.
During his time as a deputy, Arévalo worked on several new laws. These included laws about cell phone use in prisons and animal protection. He also proposed a bill to help people during the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2022, he suggested action against Russia after its invasion of Ukraine.
2023 Presidential Campaign
On 22 January 2023, Arévalo was announced as the presidential candidate for Semilla. His running mate for vice president was Karin Herrera. His supporters called him Tío Bernie (Uncle Bernie).
Arévalo's campaign focused on fighting corruption and crime in Guatemala. He also promised to create jobs and work on climate change policies.
Early polls showed Arévalo had low support. But in the first round of the 2023 election, he surprisingly came in second place. This meant he would go to a second round against Sandra Torres, a former first lady. His party, Semilla, also won many seats in Congress.
Election Results and Challenges
The official approval of the election results was delayed. Some parties questioned the results, but a review found no major problems. The Supreme Court then allowed the results to be made official.
On 12 July 2023, the election results were confirmed. However, a prosecutor announced that Semilla party's legal status was suspended. This was due to questions about how the party was formed in 2017. Arévalo said he would challenge this decision. Legal experts also said the suspension was not right under election laws.
The next day, the Constitutional Court reversed the suspension. This allowed the second round of the election to happen. Many people protested, asking for the resignation of the Attorney General and other officials. Arévalo and Karin Herrera joined these protests.
Leaders from other countries also expressed concerns about actions against Arévalo's campaign. They called for fairness in the election.
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Presidential Transition
Before becoming president, Arévalo stepped down as the leader of the Semilla party. This was because a law says a party's leader cannot be the president.
On 8 January 2024, Arévalo announced the people who would be in his cabinet (his team of ministers). He aimed for an equal number of men and women. However, one person he chose for the Ministry of Energy and Mines later declined the role.
Presidency (2024–Present)
Inauguration
Arévalo became the 52nd president of Guatemala on 15 January 2024. His inauguration was delayed by a day. He is the first president who is the son of a former Guatemalan president. He is also the second president born outside of Guatemala.
First 100 Days
In his first days, Arévalo canceled a rule that gave security and vehicles to former officials for six years. He also ordered the removal of metal barriers from the presidential buildings. These barriers had been there since 2016. This was done to show that the government was more open to the people.
Arévalo and his team also made changes in government agencies. They removed some agency heads to improve how the government works. In his first month, 878 government employees were removed from their positions.
On 8 February, Arévalo announced a new police force. This group, called GECE, focuses on fighting violent crime and extortion. The United States government donated equipment to help this new force.
Arévalo visited Europe from 15 to 23 February. He met with leaders from Germany, France, Belgium, Switzerland, and Spain. He also met with the President of the International Olympic Committee. This meeting helped remove sanctions on the Guatemalan Olympic Committee.
On 9 March 2024, Congress passed a new law for cancer care. This law provides money to improve cancer treatment and prevention. Arévalo signed the bill on 22 March 2024.
On 7 April 2024, Arévalo dismissed his Minister of Environment. This decision was made after reports that the minister's daughter used state vehicles for personal activities. Arévalo said this was to show his government does not allow misuse of state resources.
On 11 April, Arévalo checked on the progress of the Metro Riel construction. This train project is a priority for his government.
On 23 April, Arévalo reduced his presidential salary by 25%. This was one of his campaign promises. The Vice President also reduced her salary by 25%.
Domestic Policy
Education
On 4 February 2024, Arévalo announced a plan to fix 10,000 schools by the end of 2024. By June 2024, 4,000 schools had already been renovated.
Changes in Government
On 17 May, Arévalo dismissed the Minister of Communications, Infrastructure, and Housing. This was because the minister approved payments that did not follow government rules.
Efforts to Improve Government
On 5 May 2024, Arévalo spoke to the nation. He said he wanted to make changes to the law. His goal was to ensure that government offices work fairly and are not used for political reasons. He delivered a bill to Congress to help achieve this.
Energy Support
On 31 May, Arévalo announced that more people would receive help with their energy bills. This support will last until December 2024.
Foreign Policy
Nicaragua
Arévalo's government has had a difficult relationship with Nicaragua. Guatemala agreed to take in 135 Nicaraguan political prisoners released by the US. Guatemala also opposed a nomination for a new secretary general for a Central American group.
Palestine
On 10 May 2024, Arévalo's government voted to give Palestine more rights in the United Nations.
Russia
The Arévalo government has kept its distance from Russia. Arévalo spoke against Russia being an observer in the Central American Parliament. He said it was not right for a country that "does not respect international law."
Taiwan
Arévalo's government has continued to have diplomatic relations with Taiwan. He wants to keep these ties during his time as president.
Venezuela
The Arévalo government expressed concerns about the results of the 2024 Venezuelan presidential election. Arévalo said his government would not recognize the declared winner. He also spoke out against actions taken against protests in Venezuela.
Political Ideas
Arévalo follows the political ideas of his father, Juan José Arévalo, and former president Jacobo Árbenz. He describes himself as a "social democrat." This means he believes in a government that helps people and protects private property. He wants to improve social justice and social security.
Education
One of Arévalo's promises is to greatly improve public education. He plans to invest a lot of money to build new classrooms and provide textbooks. He also wants to offer monthly scholarships to students.
Health
Arévalo supports universal healthcare, meaning everyone should have access to medical care. He proposes a large government budget to build new health posts and centers. He also wants to build a public hospital specializing in cancer treatment.
Foreign Policy
Arévalo wants to improve trade with China. However, he also wants to keep diplomatic relations with Taiwan. He has said he wants to build a relationship with China that helps expand economic ties.
Arévalo has spoken out against the governments of Nicaragua and Venezuela, calling them "dictatorial." In March 2022, he supported a proposal to urge action against Russia for its invasion of Ukraine. This included canceling a mining license for a company owned by a Russian group.
Personal Life
Arévalo has been married three times. He has three daughters and three stepchildren.
Besides Spanish, he speaks English, Hebrew, French, and Portuguese. He is a Catholic.
During his election campaign, Arévalo shared in a video that he is a fan of Taylor Swift. This video became very popular among young voters.
Honors
- Order of the Aztec Eagle (Mexico, 1995)
See also
In Spanish: Bernardo Arévalo para niños
