Alvaro Colom

Alvaro Colom, a member of the Unity for Hope party, was sworn in as the president of Guatemala on January 14, 2008. He won his position in the Guatemala election, held in September, 2007.

Fast Facts:

1. Born June 15, 1951, in Guatemala City, Guatemala
2. Assumed Office: January 14, 2008
3. Party: UNE
4. Attended University of San Carlos where he received a degree in industrial engineering
5. Spouse: Sandra Torres
6. Wants to reduce crime in Guatemala by dealing with the poverty issue

Background

Prior to becoming a politician, Colom was the founding General Director of Fondo Nacional para la Paz. He was also the Vice Minister of the Economy. In 2003, he represented the UNE in the presidential elections. He came in second in the first round of the elections. He lost in the second round to Oscar Berger.

Controversy

During the 2007 election, Colom was accused of accepting funds from the state to fund his campaign. It was later reported that the money was actually a payment for service that Fundación de Amigos del País received from a government institution. It was then given to the UNE. Charges against Colom were later dropped. Since then he has denied the accusations and returned the funds.

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