Guatemala gets its first leftist president in 50 yrs

Alvaro Colom was sworn in on Monday as Guatemala’s first leftist president in more than 50 years, promising to fight poverty in a nation where half the people live on less than $1 a day. Colom, who led Guatemala’s efforts to coax thousands of war refugees back home after its civil war ended in 1996, took office in a ceremony attended by world leaders including Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez and Colombia’s Alvaro Uribe, who recently clashed over a hostage-release mission.

“Today is the beginning of privileges for the poor, the beginning of privileges for those without opportunities,” Colom, 56, said after receiving the presidential sash to the tune of traditional Mayan music. Mayan leaders attended the inauguration, which also saw Colom’s vice president, former heart surgeon Rafael Espada, take office.