Comedian Jimmy Morales Now Guatemala's President via God's Blessing, People's Support

Summary: Comedian Jimmy Morales credits his Sunday, Oct. 25, landslide win of Guatemala's presidency to “the blessing of God and the support of the people."

Jimmy Morales, former TV comedian and now president-elect of Guatemala: CC BY SA 4.0, via Diario Digital Colombiano

On Sunday, Oct. 25, 2015, National Convergence Front (Frente de Convergencia Nacional FCN–Nación) candidate Jimmy Morales, Evangelical Christian and former comedian, won Guatemala’s presidency in a landslide victory of nearly 70 percent of the vote.

Jimmy Morales's rival for Guatemala's highest political office was Sandra Torres, National Unity of Hope (Unidad Nacional de la Esperanza) candidate and First Lady of Guatemala from 2008 to 2012.

The runoff election took place less than two months after evidence of a high-scale tax and customs corruption scandal, known as La Línea (the Line), led to resignation by President Otto Pérez Molina on Sept. 2 and his subsequent arrest on Sept. 3. Current Acting President Alejandro Maldonado Aguirre was elected by Guatemala’s Congress (Congreso de la República de Guatemala) to replace Roxana Baldetti as vice president after her La Línea-related resignation on May 8. Assuming the presidency after Molina’s resignation, Maldonado Aguirre finishes his term on Jan. 14, 2016, with Jimmy Morales’ inauguration.

Jimmy’s journey to Guatemala’s highest elected office has been paved with a humble childhood, a willingness to work hard, and a sense of humor. Born as James Ernesto Morales Cabrera in Guatemala’s capital and largest city, Guatemala City, on March 18, 1969, Jimmy experienced financial difficulties beginning at the young age of three when his radio announcer father, José Everardo Morales Orellana, died in a motorcycle accident. He, his siblings, and his mother, Celíta Ernestina Cabrera Acevedo, earned money by selling bananas, used clothing, and other goods as street peddlers.

A grant through World Vision International, an Evangelical Christian charity with a special focus on children’s well-being, enabled Jimmy to attend Guatemala City’s University of San Carlos (Universidad de San Carlos de Guatemala) and graduate with a degree in business administration. Jimmy went on to earn a Master’s Degree in Strategic Studies, specializing in defense and security, from Guatemala City’s private Mariano Galvez University of Guatemala (Universidad Mariano Gálvez de Guatemala). He completed required doctoral coursework in strategic security at his alma mater, University of San Carlos.

From 2000 to 2014, Jimmy joined his brother Sammy in Moralejas (Morals), a weekly TV comedy. On Feb. 23, 2011, the high-profile comedian changed his name to Jimmy Morales by deed poll, announced in Guatemala’s daily newspaper, La Hora. Jimmy then made his first entrance into politics, with an unsuccessful run in 2011 for mayor of Mixco, a municipality separated from Guatemala City by canyons and joined by a network of bridges.

As FCN-Nación’s presidential candidate, Jimmy appealed to corruption-weary Guatemalans with his outsider slogan, “Neither corrupt nor a thief” (Ni corrupto, ni ladró). After Sunday’s landslide victory, the married father-of-four thanked Guatemalans living in the United States for their “transcendental” support and credited “the blessing of God and the support of the people” as guides in his capacity to govern.

El cómico Jimmy Morales, elegido presidente de Guatemala con el doble de votos que su rival: CC BY SA 4.0, via Diario Digital Colombiano

Acknowledgment

My special thanks to talented artists and photographers/concerned organizations who make their fine images available on the internet.

Image credits:

Jimmy Morales: CC BY SA 4.0, via Diario Digital Colombiano @ http://www.diariodigitalcolombiano.com/el-comico-jimmy-morales-elegido-presidente-de-guatemala-con-el-doble-de-votos-que-su-rival/

For further information:

Associated Press. "Jimmy Morales, comic and self-styled outsider, wins Guatemala presidency." The Guardian. Oct. 26, 2015.
Available @ http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/oct/26/jimmy-morales-comic-and-self-styled-outsider-wins-guatemala-presidency

del Rincón, Fernando, Rafael Romo and Catherine E. Shoichet. "Guatemala election: Comedian Jimmy Morales poised to become president." CNN > Regions > Americas. Oct. 27, 2015.
Available @ http://edition.cnn.com/2015/10/25/americas/guatemala-election/index.html

Montes, Juan. "Guatemala's Jimmy Morales Is on His Way to Fulfilling a Dream." The Wall Street Journal > World > Latin America.
Available @ http://www.wsj.com/articles/guatemalas-jimmy-morales-is-on-his-way-to-fulfilling-a-dream-1441657133

Umaña, Marlom. "El cómico Jimmy Morales, elegido presidente de Guatemala con el doble de votos que su rival." Diario Digital Colombiano. Oct. 27, 2015.
Available @ http://www.diariodigitalcolombiano.com/el-comico-jimmy-morales-elegido-presidente-de-guatemala-con-el-doble-de-votos-que-su-rival/