England has reached the Women’s World Cup final for the first time thanks to a stunning 3-1 win over co-host Australia on Wednesday.

More to follow…

Four Australian surfers who were saved after 38 hours at sea have spoken publicly for the first time after their miraculous rescue, thanking those involved in the operation, as the search continues for one more person still missing.

Australians Steph Weisse, Will Teagle, Jordan Short and Elliot Foote, and two unnamed Indonesian nationals were found floating on their surfboards on Tuesday morning. They had gone missing Sunday off the Sumatran coast in western Indonesia, after their boat was struck by a storm.

According to their families, the four Australians were on a surf trip in Indonesia to celebrate Foote’s 30th birthday. One Indonesian among the group remains missing.

Teagle chimed in, saying he was “so stoked to be alive.”

The group thanked the Indonesian and Australian governments for coordinating rescue efforts, and for the group’s friends for participating in the search.

“There were some moments out there where we were quite nervous and didn’t quite know what the outcome was going to be, but we just banded together,” Foote said.

He praised the other surfers for being “so strong,” describing their time lost in the open ocean as efficient with no arguments between the members. “Every single moment they just knew what to do, we just took charge and followed each other,” he said.

Short agreed, saying the “crazy experience” had bonded the four of them closer together.

Weisse, Foote’s girlfriend, said she was “beyond words.”

“What we went through and experienced was so intense but we’re so proud of ourselves how we just didn’t give up until the last moment out there for so long,” she said, adding that the group felt “so blessed and so loved” after the massive rescue operation.

The group offered their thoughts to the Indonesian crew member still missing, and to his friends and family. The names of the Indonesian crew who were on board the boat have not been shared yet by authorities.

“It’s hard to think about, we just hope the best for him, his family and friends and his village,” said Foote, adding that the group now wanted the time and privacy to recover and rest.

The group’s boat was last seen Sunday evening local time after they encountered bad weather and heavy rain on a journey to the remote Pinang island from Nias, a popular surfing destination some 150 kilometers from Indonesia’s Sumatra Island.

A second boat with the rest of the party successfully reached Pinang island Sunday evening, the families said, helping to raise the alarm.

Footage of the dramatic rescue on Tuesday showed both the stranded castaways on their surfboards and their rescuers cheering and shouting as they realized they’d successfully found each other. The rescuers who found them were on a surf charter boat involved in the frantic search operation.

She flew into Costa Rica with her partner and baby for an extended break in February 2020.

But after getting stuck in the coastal town of Nosara during the Covid-19 pandemic, Stefanie Tannenbaum, from the US, felt so at home that she decided to stay for good.

Now, nearly four years later, Tannenbaum is the proud co-founder of sustainable boutique hotel Sendero, which she describes as a “neighborhood hotel” that aims to provide its guests with “a sense of belonging.”

“People often say that as soon as they’re at the hotel, they feel part of Nosara.”

Community hotel

Tannenbaum had visited the town a few times before choosing to travel there for a month with her partner and their son River, who was around eight-months old at the time, and was struck by the sense of community, along with the “phenomenal” surfing and the nature.

Costa Rica is famous for its wonderful nature, and with a 90-acre biological reserve where howler monkeys and turtles, can be found, along with 270 of bird species including herons and toucans, Nosara is no exception.

When it became clear that she and her family would be unable to leave the Central American country for a while due to the travel restrictions implemented as a result of the pandemic, Tannenbaum began looking into the prospect of starting a business in Nosara.

“Everything was really stressful, but there was a peace I was finding being in Nosara,” she says.

While collaborating with a team of locals to set up a remote working space named Outpost, she saw an opportunity to create a hotel at a nearby property and “decided to take that leap.”

“I had been feeling alone and isolated back in the US,” explains Tannenbaum, who was previously based in Massachusetts. “And all of a sudden I was part of a community and the people I was building these projects with became my best friends.

Big leap

“It felt like we were all pursuing our dreams together. We like to say that we’re a friend-owned hotel.”

Tannenbaum, who had previously worked for a hotel management and development company and often dreamed of owning her own hotel, met her business partner Sarah Kosterlitz while in Costa Rica.

The excited pair used their life savings to purchase the hotel property and get the project off the ground.

“It was a scary decision,” she admits.

According to Tannenbaum, it took around 14 months to create Sendero, which officially opened in February.

One of the main objectives was to ensure that the project was as sustainable as possible, which led to some interesting design decisions.

For instance, in order to avoid cutting down any trees during the construction process, they opted to “build around” a huge tree, which now sits in the middle of the hotel restaurant.

Sustainability promise

“At first I was like, “well we could fit one more table. We need to maximize the profit of the restaurant,’” she says.

“But this tree was here long before us, and it will be here long after. And then just looking at the beauty of it. It’s a beautiful attraction to the space.”

In addition, all of the materials used to construct the hotel came from Costa Rica, including reclaimed bricks and roof tiles from “old homes in San Jose,” while the hotel uses solar panels, and its water is recycled four times.

“Sustainability is non-negotiable in all of our projects,” adds Tannenbaum. “We actually want to have a bigger handprint than we do footprint.”

The restaurant, described as the “hub of the hotel” serves a mixture of “local and simple” cuisine, such as ceviche, made with fresh ingredients.

“We have a lot of tuna on the menu, because it’s locally caught less than a mile from our hotel,” says Tannenbaum.

The surf school, which was already part of the previous property, is owned by a local resident and the onsite art gallery features Costa Rican artists.

“We didn’t want to take the US and replace what was happening there,” she adds. “We just wanted to elevate and help the rest of the community really shine through at our hotel.”

Tannenbaum explains that the hotel’s three different types of accommodation are geared towards attracting “different demographics of guests.”

Its 25 rooms are made up of suites, private bedrooms with a custom-built bed and separate living area, jungle rooms, which include outdoor showers facing the neighboring nature preserve, and a king room, which has its own private balcony. Rates range from $200 to $700.

The signature jungle rooms, which Tannenbaum notes were a “risky” choice due to the outdoor showers, have proved to be a huge hit with guests.

“It does feel like all the big risks that we took ended up being the highest kind of returns,” she says.

The hotel is around two and a half hours from Liberia Airport and five hours from San Jose Airport by car.

Different path

The name Sendero comes from the Spanish word for “path” and Tannenbaum explains that the hotel has a path that extends across the 200 meters of protected land at Nosara’s coastal front.

“It’s also metaphorically how Sendero can play a role in the path or journey of one’s life also,” she adds.

When travel restrictions were eased in late 2020, Tannenbaum, briefly returned to her home in the US with her partner and son to connect with family and collect their dog, who they’d left behind many months before.

“He was not very happy with us,” she says. “But now he’s happy in Costa Rica.”

Tannenbaum has been able to build a completely new life for her and her family in Nosara over the years and is currently going through the process of officially becoming a Costa Rican resident.

“It was fast, but it just felt right,” she says. “Costa Rica is a very open country, they’re very into community and supporting one another. They’re always putting community first.”

She’s thrilled to have been able to give back to the community that embraced her and her family so fully, and is looking forward to what the future may bring.

“I’m very grateful that my partner was willing to take that leap with me,” she admits. “Because I was trying to find something. I was trying to find who I was as a mother and a family. And I found it there [in Nosara].

A German national who worked for a government agency that equips the German armed forces, has been arrested on suspicion of spying for Russia, the German Federal Public Prosecutor’s Office said in a statement Wednesday.

The man was employed the Federal Office of Bundeswehr Equipment, Information Technology and In-Service Support– and is alleged to have passed information to the Russian intelligence service, the federal prosecutor’s office said.

“The defendant is strongly suspected of having worked for a foreign intelligence service,” it added. “Starting in May 2023, he approached the Russian Consulate General in Bonn and the Russian Embassy in Berlin several times on his own initiative and offered cooperation.”

“On one occasion, he passed on information he had obtained in the course of his professional activities for the purpose of forwarding it to a Russian intelligence service,” the statement said.

The man was arrested in the western Germany city of Koblenz and as part of the investigation, his and workplace were searched. An arrest warrant was issued by a Federal Supreme Court judge on July 27, 2023, the federal prosecutor’s office said.

“The investigation was conducted in close cooperation with the Federal Military Counter-Intelligence Service and the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution,” the federal prosecutor’s office said.

The man was brought before the Federal Supreme Court investigating judge on Wednesday. The judge ordered that he be remanded in custody, the federal prosecutor’s office said.

The Federal Office of Bundeswehr Equipment, Information Technology and In-Service Support has almost 12,000 people working for it, including 18,000 soldiers, according to Reuters.

In December, a German citizen who worked for the country’s foreign intelligence service was arrested on charges of spying for Russia.

It comes after a large expulsion of Russian diplomats, many of whom are alleged to be operating as spies, from European countries last year following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

At least 27 people were killed and 106 others injured when clashes broke out between two powerful armed factions in the southern Libyan capital of Tripoli, the country’s emergency services said in a statement Tuesday.

Fighting began Monday after the detention of the commander of the 444 Brigade, Mahmoud Hamza, as he attempted to travel through Tripoli’s main Mitiga airport. He was apprehended by a rival faction, the Special Deterrence Force, which controls the airport. The reason for his detention remains unknown.

The clashes ceased late on Tuesday following an agreement reached with the UN-recognized Government of National Unity to transfer Hamza to a neutral party, as reported by state news agency LANA.

Civilians were among the casualties, LANA reported.

The fighting is considered the most severe of this year with images showing smoke rising above the capital following the overnight battles.

The agreement, according to LANA, encompasses the cessation of all military operations in Tripoli, the return of military units to their barracks, assessment of damage to public and private property, and that the Government of National Unity to issue compensations.

The United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) stated on Tuesday that it “is closely monitoring security incidents and developments in Tripoli since yesterday and their impact on the civilian population. The Mission reminds all parties involved of their responsibility under international law to protect civilians.”

The country has seen little peace since it was split between warring factions since 2014, following the 2011 NATO-backed uprising against Moammar Gadhafi. The Special Deterrence Force and the 444 Brigade are considered the strongest military forces in the Libyan capital, according to Reuters.

Not many would have predicted it before the tournament kicked off, but Spain became the first team to book its place in the Women’s World Cup final on Tuesday.

La Roja produced another impressive performance to beat Sweden 2-1 in the semifinals to make yet more history for the country.

Spain’s women had never progressed further than the last-16 before this year but are now just one win away from lifting a first ever World Cup trophy.

The team’s success has captured the imagination of the Spanish public back home, who are all very much behind their team.

Spain’s Prime Minister, Pedro Sánchez, sent his congratulations to the national team after Tuesday’s semifinal victory.

“To the final!” he wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter. “Keep making history. All of Spain is with you.”

The excitement of watching the team make history was shared by Spain’s other top sports stars.

World Cup winner and Barcelona legend Andrés Iniesta took to social media to call the players “giants” after their victory against Sweden. Real Madrid midfielder Dani Ceballos wrote on X, “Congratulations! Spanish pride! We’ll be with you pushing in the final! Let’s go!”

Meanwhile, two-time grand slam tennis champion Garbiñe Muguruza posted on X: “Let’s keep going!!”

It was sentiment echoed by fellow double major winner Carlos Alcaraz who wrote on X: “LET’S GO, TEAM!!! Congratulations and let’s go for the [trophy] on Sunday!”

‘Thank you’

The success wasn’t just felt by those in the world of sport, Hollywood actor Antonio Banderas also sent his praise.

“Bravo!!! Proud of this team of women football players with class, heart and faith in themselves. Thank you!!!” he wrote on X.

Despite dominating much of the game against Sweden, Spain – the tournament top scorers (17) – struggled to find the breakthrough.

That was until 19-year-old sensation Salma Paralluelo opened the scoring with an unerring finish in the 81st minute.

The goal sparked the game into life and Sweden equalized just seven minutes later, before Olga Carmona’s long-range effort looped in off the crossbar to give Spain the win.

Paralluelo was in tears of joy at the final whistle, as she continues her remarkable rise at this tournament.

After scoring the winner in extra-time of the quarterfinal against the Netherlands, Paralluelo once again changed the game after coming on as a substitute in the 57th minute against the Swedes.

‘Loads of emotion’

In addition to her goal, her pace and physical presence up front allowed Spain to launch sustained attacks.

Eventually, her hard work was rewarded with the ball in the back of the net.

“Once again, loads of emotion just like the last match,” Paralluelo said after the semifinal.

“It was a really tough game when they scored that goal … but we were able to bounce back like always because this team gives everything.”

When asked what she was thinking about when standing on the pitch as the full-time whistle blew, Paralluelo replied: “My family, everyone that supports me, in them [the players], we deserved it. We’ve taken this little step, and now, we’ve got one more big push.

“We’ve just got the final left, we need to keep doing what we’ve been doing every match.

“We’ve been going from one challenge to another and now we have the last one – the big one – and we’re going to work hard to do it.”

Despite the nation’s ongoing success in Australia and New Zealand, it was far from a perfect preparation for the first World Cup finalist.

Issues arose when 15 players declared themselves unavailable for selection in September last year, citing their emotional and physical health and an unappreciation of them, primarily focused on the practices of head coach Jorge Vilda.

The Spanish federation (RFEF) chose to stand behind Vilda and six players – including two-time Ballon d’Or winner Alexia Putellas – eventually reversed their decisions, but the saga left in its wake a fractured group of players; albeit a talented one.

Despite the noise surrounding preparations for the World Cup, the Spanish players have showed no signs of being bogged down and are now one step away from sporting immortality.

Two matches stand between Australia and a historic Women’s World Cup win, and the nation – perhaps prematurely – is debating the pros and cons of a national holiday should the squad defeat Spain on Sunday.

Soccer mania has swept the country in a culture where rugby, cricket and the local “Aussie Rules” football usually dominates. And while the nation paused to soothe shredded nerves after an extended penalty shootout against France, eyes are now firmly fixed on dispatching England on Wednesday night.

The match airs at 8 p.m. on Australia’s east coast but clashes with a workday in the home of the Lionesses – and it’s showing even earlier along the United States east coast, where eager soccer fans can catch the game over the breakfast.

In Australia, more than four million people tuned into watch the Matildas’ ulcer-inducing 7-6 win over the Les Bleues on Saturday, according to official free-to-air viewing figures, and Wednesday’s semifinal is expected to draw an even bigger crowd.

Stadiums that may otherwise sit dark and empty on a weekday night are switching on their lights and screens for Australia’s clash against its traditional sporting rival.

In Sydney, two stadiums with an extra 75,000 capacity will open to absorb spillover from the main venue, Stadium Australia, which itself will seat more than 75,000 people. Thousands more will be at the official FIFA Fan Festival site and a dozen public screens will show the match for free, not including pubs and clubs.

And that’s just in one city.

Sporting heroes

Elsewhere around the country, diaries are being cleared and extra catering ordered for a night the nation wants to remember as a seismic moment in World Cup history.

Other sporting codes are stepping aside – Basketball Australia has pulled the Boomers’ clash with Brazil forward by more than two hours “so everyone can catch @TheMatildas in their semi final,” it tweeted.

That might be a smart move. On Saturday, the AFL (Australian Football League) paid the price of unfortunate scheduling when fans in the stands began watching the Matildas’ game on their devices rather the match being played in front of them.

Passengers on planes tuned in on the backs of seats – and one lucky soccer fan did the rounds of local media after star striker Sam Kerr gave her her sweaty playing kit after Saturday’s match.

“I was yelling ‘please Sam Kerr, give me your jersey’ and then she did!” said Zara Borcak, who plays for the under 10s.

“I am so happy,” the grinning 9-year-old told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.

Officially, they’re the Matildas, but most Australians now casually refer to them as the “Tillies,” and as the slogan goes, they’re there “Tilits done.”

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has thrown his weight behind team, in between frustrating small businesses and much of the strained health sector with talk of a national holiday should they win the World Cup.

When asked if he was putting too much pressure on the squad, Albanese told one radio broadcaster: “There’s an old saying in AFL and NRL … ‘keep a lid on it’. The lid got blown off this a long time ago.”

The lid has definitely blown off – and Australians are loving it.

Maybe it’s because the last time the country came together to fight a common cause, they were desperately trying to stay apart. Just a few years ago, the idea of being in a crowded stadium, singing loudly – gasp – unmasked would have been unthinkable.

Now for some, the unthinkable is: ‘What if they don’t win?’”

Just breathe

For professional mentor and mindset coach, Ben Crowe, that’s the wrong question – it’s about redefining success.

“On so many levels, the event and the experience has already been a success,” said Crowe, founder of the Mojo mindset app.

“The Matildas have taught the country, or reminded the country, that the future belongs to those who believe in the power of their dreams, to steal a beautiful quote from Eleanor Roosevelt. They remind us to set big goals and dreams and genuinely believe in them. And then to work together as a team,” he said.

Crowe has worked with an impressive list of clients in both the sporting and business world, including the Australian men’s and women’s cricket teams, Wimbledon winner Ash Barty and the Richmond AFL football club, among others.

He says Australians are captivated by this World Cup because they suddenly realize their team is challenging football heavyweights in a country that doesn’t typically rank at the top of soccer leaderboards.

“To feel that we belong on the global stage is pretty cool,” he said. “Because the performance has been so strong, and it’s been in our own country, I think we are celebrating and appreciative and really proud of that.”

Crowe says in some ways it’s harder to be a spectator than an athlete because, as much as they can yell, cheer and vent, fans have no control over the outcome of the game. His advice to anyone watching Wednesday’s game – on both sides – is, very simply, to “breathe.”

“Belly breathing is the quickest mind tap to tell the brain everything’s going to be okay. And then tell their brain to be calm. And to be present, knowing that you can’t control the outcome,” he said.

“If you tap into appreciation, that’s often the antidote to expectation. Appreciate the opportunity, and watch with no expectations because that’s how the Matildas are going to play.”

That’s easier said than done, and pressure is building on the team as millions around the country and abroad count down the hours until Wednesday’s kick-off.

Players are doing their best to focus, despite the distractions.

After being told that residents of one Melbourne street had renamed their road after her, goalkeeper Mackenzie Arnold gave a glimpse of the honesty and humility that has won over Australians.

“The last couple of days have been a pretty big whirlwind for me,” she told reporters on Tuesday.

“(It’s) probably the first time I’ve received attention like that, but at the same time, I just tend to block it out because I know to be honest, if I play like s**t tomorrow, it could be a whole different attention on me.”

Australia and England will meet on Wednesday as each team looks to seal a historic Women’s World Cup final appearance.

Neither side has ever qualified for a World Cup final before and in such an open tournament, both will have aspirations of going all the way.

In a World Cup to remember for so many reasons, Wednesday’s match at Stadium Australia in Sydney is the latest contest in a fiercely contested rivalry across numerous sports between the two nations.

How to watch

In the US, games will be aired on FOX Sports, while Telemundo will provide Spanish-language coverage.

Seven Network and Optus Sport are broadcasting matches in Australia and the BBC and ITV have the rights in the United Kingdom.

A full breakdown of media rights holders in each country is available on the FIFA website.

Australia vs. England begins at 6 a.m. ET (11 a.m. BST).

Australia vs. England

It’s been quite the summer of sport between Australia and England.

First, the Ashes took place in cricket – with Australia coming out on top in both the men’s and women’s formats.

A few weeks later, Australia beat its English counterpart in the final of the Netball World Cup.

And on Wednesday, the two will once again do battle, this time in the semifinal of the Women’s World Cup.

Both are on impressive runs, with tournament co-host Australia pushed on by its home crowd while England has continued its success under Dutch coach Sarina Wiegman following victory at the Women’s Euros last year.

Since Wiegman was appointed England coach the Lionesses have lost just once – to Australia in a friendly earlier this year. That defeat ended a 30-game unbeaten run that England had put together following Wiegman’s appointment in September 2021.

The Matildas have been boosted by the return of captain and all-time topscorer Sam Kerr after a calf injury, as she has played progressively more as the tournament has gone on, while also getting key contributions from other players within the team.

This is first the time that Australia has contested a Women’s World Cup semifinal. It is only the second nation to have made it through to the Women’s World Cup semifinals as hosts, after the US who were winners in 1999 and finished third in 2003.

On the other hand, England has been effective if not emphatic in its run to the semifinal, with narrow victories becoming the norm.

Wiegman’s team is likely to feel the absence of Lauren James, who will serve the second match of her two-game suspension on Wednesday after she was sent off for stepping on the back of Nigeria’s Michelle Alozie during the round-of-16 game at Brisbane Stadium.

It’s the third consecutive World Cup in which the Lionesses has reached the semifinal stage.

There will be intriguing tactical and personal battles across the pitch as both sides look to set up a clash against Spain in Sunday’s final.

Yet another record has fallen in this summer’s extreme-weather epicenter of Phoenix, but this one is doing more than fueling the heat – it’s a sign of a much more widespread issue developing in the Southwest.

Phoenix is experiencing its driest start to summer after recording no measurable rainfall Monday, a new record for the latest start to the region’s monsoon in the city.

The troubling new milestone is emblematic of a much larger problem in the Southwest, which relies on the monsoon for much of its rain. Monsoons – which occur in several continents – are seasonal shifts in wind direction that transports moisture into the region. The North American monsoon provides parts of the Southwest 40 to 75% of its annual rainfall, but many cities across the region are pacing 50 to 80% behind average rainfall amounts since June 15, when the monsoon typically begins.

This lack of rainfall during a critical time of the year has for weeks enhanced the region’s exceptional heat and expanding drought.

Parts of Phoenix did see rain on two days in July, but because it didn’t fall at the city’s official reporting station, it didn’t count toward city records. Only 30 to 40% of the Phoenix metro area experienced the rain, said Alex Young, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service in Phoenix. That rainfall was light, according to NWS data, only amounting to between 0.1 to 0.2 inches across the two days. These rainfall totals account for at most 10 to 25% of what typically falls during July, and occurred across only a fraction of the city’s footprint.

And Phoenix’s rainfall woes have been growing well before the normal start to the monsoon, NWS data shows.

Nothing more than a trace of rain has been recorded at the city’s official reporting station since March 22. Monday marked 145 consecutive days without measurable precipitation, further cementing Phoenix’s second-longest dry streak on record. The longest dry stretch on record for Phoenix stands at 160 days and occurred more than 60 years ago from December 29, 1971, to June 6, 1972.

Phoenix isn’t the only city missing out on most of its monsoon rainfall. Flagstaff, Arizona, has recorded about 30% of its typical rainfall since monsoon season began and Albuquerque, New Mexico, has only seen around 20%.

Minimal rainfall has led to abnormal dryness and drought across at least 95% of New Mexico and 85% of Arizona, the US Drought Monitor reported last week.

How long Phoenix’s dry spell will last depends on a brewing stormy setup later this week across portions of the Southwest, including eastern and central Arizona. There’s a chance Phoenix will receive rainfall at some point Friday or Saturday, meaning the 160-day record might not be broken.

How dry weather drives dangerous heat

The lack of rainfall is driving this summer’s heat even higher.

Sun shining on dry ground typically results in higher temperatures because none of the sun’s energy is used to evaporate moisture and more of it can be converted into heat. Cloud cover can also have a significant influence as it affects how much sun reaches the ground.

Throw in several intense heat domes and a plethora of records have fallen in Phoenix this summer. Phoenix had not only its hottest month on record in July, but also the hottest month ever recorded for any US city.

The city endured a record-breaking 31 consecutive days from June 30 to July 30 where high temperatures reached or exceeded 110 degrees. Phoenix has had 43 days so far this year where temperatures met or surpassed 110 degrees, just 10 days behind 2022’s all-time record of 53 days.

And the heat hasn’t stopped stop once the sun goes down. Phoenix has had 28 days of low temperatures at or above 90 degrees this year, which ties the record set in 2020.

Low temperatures in the hottest part of the summer tend to hover in the low to middle 80s, but one day in July set an all-time record when temperatures failed to fall below 97 degrees.

When heat doesn’t abate at night, it can quickly become dangerous – especially for those without reliable access to air conditioning. On average, nights are warming faster than days in most of the US as a consequence of the climate crisis.

At least 147 deaths have been attributed to extreme heat in 2023, with a majority of the reported deaths occurring in Arizona. As of early August, more than 100 people had died due to heat in Arizona alone.

Guatemala’s presidential runoff on August 20 will see a former first lady compete against the son of a former president, capping a troubled race that has worried observers about the country’s future as inequality and corruption drives political turbulence throughout the region.

Sandra Torres, largely seen as continuity candidate for the political establishment, will run against the anti-corruption candidate Bernardo Arévalo – who defied predictions with his second-place finish in the first round of voting in June.

Torres won 16% of the first-round vote in June with Arévalo coming in with 11.8% of the votes cast. Still, more than 24% of voters cast blank or invalid votes and about 40% of registered voters abstained, which analysts have attributed to high levels of disenchantment with Guatemala’s electoral system after the state disqualified opposition candidates who spoke out against corruption.

As an outsider candidate, Arévalo’s surprise run in the second round has reinvigorated this year’s presidential cycle, which has been plagued by allegations of government interference and fears of democratic backsliding.

Guatemala watchers are cautiously hopeful that the popular will might prevail.

Why has the race been so turbulent?

Rights groups say graft and impunity accelerated among the country’s political class after a United Nations-backed anti-corruption commission, known as CICIG, credited for assisting in hundreds of convictions, was dissolved in 2019. Prosecutors and judges associated with the commission were arrested, investigated, and many have been forced to flee the country in the ensuing years amid high rates of poverty and malnutrition.

Worries about democratic backsliding began to mount in this year’s election cycle as anti-corruption candidates were barred from running, prompting widespread criticism from the US and Western allies.

Arévalo, who previously served as ambassador to Spain, has also faced attempts to disqualify him. A Guatemalan court suspended his Movimiento Semilla party on the request of Rafael Curruchiche, who heads the Special Prosecutor’s Office Against Impunity and is on the US State Department Engels list for “corrupt and undemocratic actors.”

Curruchiche said they were investigating Movimiento Semilla for allegedly falsifying citizens’ signatures – a claim Arévalo has denied.

But he was ultimately allowed to run in the first round following international outcry by the US, European Union and a group of international donors, known as the G13, which includes the United Kingdom and Canada. Even Torres announced she would suspend her political campaign in solidarity with Movimiento Semilla.

Who are the candidates?

Unemployment, corruption, and high living costs are at the top of voters’ minds as they head to the polls on August 20. “Guatemalans want to replace this broken political system that no matter what candidates say they end up doing the same things in office,” Freeman said.

Torres has pledged to expand the country’s social programs and has advocated for tough policies to tackle crime in the style of Nayib Bukele, the president of neighboring El Salvador. She holds support among rural voters, garnered when she helped get more cash transfers and benefits as first lady more than a decade ago.

The 67-year-old heads one of the country’s largest political parties, Unidad Nacional de la Esperanza (UNE), and served as the country’s first lady alongside her ex-husband, the center-left former President Alvaro Colom, from 2008 to 2011.

This is the third presidential cycle Torres has competed in, losing in 2019 to current President Alejandro Giammattei. Her time in the spotlight has made her one of the most recognized names in the political race, although many Guatemalans have indicated they will not vote for her.

Current momentum appears to be behind the former diplomat. Arévalo is seen as a pragmatist from the center-left Movimiento Semilla party, which he co-founded in 2017, and may be able to tap into widespread discontent against the current political class. His father, Juan José Arévalo, was Guatemala’s first democratically elected president in 1945 and is fondly remembered for creating the country’s social security system.

Tackling corruption is his first order of business, according to his 100-day plan if voted into power. Arévalo appears less interested in prosecuting corrupt actors and more focused on doing away with pork barrel spending, Freeman says. “The theory is more that you need to fix corruption at the source and stop public contracts from being awarded in a non-competitive way.”

He has promised to bring back the journalists, judges and prosecutors who fled the country in the wake of the government shutting down CICIG – this includes his party’s former presidential contender, Thelma Aldana, known for her anti-corruption crusades that led to the conviction of a former president. Aldana was barred from running in the 2019 race.

Guatemala currently recognizes Taiwan, and Arévalo has said he would like Guatemala to have relations with both Taipei and Beijing.

Guatemala’s business elite have warmed to him, with Duolingo Chief Executive Luis Von Ahn announcing on X that he had contributed $100,000 to his campaign.

Congress is set to be largely controlled by establishment parties following this year’s elections, including the outgoing president’s Vamos party and Torres’ UNE. Even if Arévalo does win at the polls Sunday, there may be many more hurdles to come.