"No tenemos presidente."
That is how my host mom greeted me the morning of September 3, 2015.
"We don't have a president."
Now, I hadn't been in Guatemala for that long, but I knew enough to be surprised. And, from the looks on the faces of the members of my host family, it was a shock for them too. After months of protests, escalating in both frequency and impact (all while remaining peaceful), calling for the resignation of the president, no one thought it would actually happen. Even after hearing hundreds of Guatemalans chant Yo no tengo presidente (a viral hashtag meaning "I don't have a president"), I couldn't believe I was hearing No tenemos presidente ("We don't have a president"). The hashtag became a reality.
That is how my host mom greeted me the morning of September 3, 2015.
"We don't have a president."
Now, I hadn't been in Guatemala for that long, but I knew enough to be surprised. And, from the looks on the faces of the members of my host family, it was a shock for them too. After months of protests, escalating in both frequency and impact (all while remaining peaceful), calling for the resignation of the president, no one thought it would actually happen. Even after hearing hundreds of Guatemalans chant Yo no tengo presidente (a viral hashtag meaning "I don't have a president"), I couldn't believe I was hearing No tenemos presidente ("We don't have a president"). The hashtag became a reality.