Guatemala City, by Brenda Larios -AGN- Bernardo Arévalo was sworn in as President of Guatemala on January 15 in a ceremony held in the Efraín Recinos Hall of the Miguel Ángel Asturias Cultural Center.
The 2024–2028 president was accompanied by his wife, now First Lady Lucrecia Eugenia Peinado Villanueva.
Heads of state, such as President Santiago Peña (Paraguay), President Xiomara Castro (Honduras), and Gustavo Petro (Colombia), the diplomatic corps, former officials, representatives of national and international organizations, and delegations from sixty countries, attended the ceremony.
The event
At 11:50 p.m. on Sunday, the second phase of the solemn session of the Congress of the Republic began with the swearing-in and inauguration of Mr. Bernardo Arévalo de León as President of the Republic of Guatemala and Karin Herrera Aguilar as Vice President of the country.
As part of the transfer of power ceremony, the President of Congress, Samuel Pérez, turned over the presidential sash, along with the Order of the Quetzal, the keys to the Constitution, the military command staff, and the presidential pin, the supreme symbol of the nation.
During his first address, President Arévalo stated: “It fills me with deep honor to assume this high responsibility, evidencing that our democracy has the necessary strength to resist.”
He added, “This honor results from the hopeful and sincere trust millions of Guatemalans have placed in our project.”
Regarding the international community, President Bernardo Arévalo added, “I also express my deep gratitude for the solidarity and accompaniment of our sister nations. Their support has been fundamental.”
He also thanked Guatemala´s youth and families, especially the country’s indigenous leadership.
The president emphasized that democracy and social justice are intrinsically linked. He also stressed that he plans to address ocial problems in education, health, transportation, energy, climate change, and more.
