'Celebrate our spring!' Guatemala's new president Arevalo vows to transform nation

Supporters of Guatemala's new President Bernardo Arevalo thronged the capital's emblematic Plaza de la Constitucion in the early hours of Monday (January 15) to celebrate the country's "spring", with the country's new leader vowing to transform the nation. Bernardo Arévalo was sworn in as Guatemala’s president on Monday minutes after midnight despite months of efforts to derail his inauguration, including foot-dragging and rising tensions right up until the transfer of power. For many Guatemalans, the inauguration represented not only the culmination of Arévalo’s victory at the polls, but also their successful defense of the country’s democracy.