In Guatemala, candidates have 90 days to campaign and present their proposals to the public. However, they often choose an informal approach, and instead of communicating their government plans and participating in serious debates, they prefer to use trending audio and do dances on social media.
As the Movimiento Cívico Nacional (MCN), we promote informed voting and want more young people to be aware of how important this decision is. For this reason, we are promoting Votando Rimas, a project where the stances of the three leading presidential candidates in the polls—Edmond Mulet, Zury Ríos, and Sandra Torres—will be communicated in rap format.
We collect audio from all their interviews and statements to create rap battles, so citizens can learn more about them. Furthermore, it is an opportunity to remember that people should vote for the best candidate and not for whoever has the catchiest song.
This Thursday, June 1, the project was launched, where national hip-hop artists explained through their art the importance of an informed vote. It was also a moment for young Guatemalans to identify the superficial campaigns they have seen so far and to recognize real proposals so they are not swayed by populist proposals.
On June 25, the general elections will take place, and a significant percentage of citizens are young people between 18 and 35 years old, as they represent 42% of the electoral roll. Therefore, it is crucial to use the remaining time to get to know the candidates and their proposals well, and to share civic education content with other Guatemalans to generate a conscious vote.
The outcome of the vote has a great impact on the lives of all Guatemalans, as it is through this that citizens define the future direction of the country. Before voting, it is essential to know the faces behind the logos that will appear on the ballots. For this, we remind you of a key tool: yovotomejor.com, a platform where you will find information about what the candidates have done. Yo voto mejor is an initiative of Movimiento Cívico Nacional, a civil society organization made up of young Guatemalans that seeks to promote an informed vote in the 2023 general elections.
You can listen to the Votando Rimas debates here