Carlos Pineda Sosa
Personal details
Born (1972-05-29) 29 May 1972
Zacapa, Guatemala
Political partyIndependent
Other political
affiliations		Avanza (2019)
Cambio (2022–2023)
Citizen Prosperity (2023)
Spouse
María Guadalupe Hurtarte
​
​
(m. 1996)​
Alma materColegio San José de los Infantes
OccupationBusinessman

Carlos René Pineda Sosa (born 29 May 1972)[1][2] is a Guatemalan politician and businessman who ran in the 2023 Guatemalan general election. He was considered a political dark horse and he made his first candidacy for the presidency under Citizen Prosperity party, where polls placed him as a favorite. He was eventually disqualified.[3]

Early life and career

Pineda was born in Zacapa to businessman Carlos René Pineda Rossell and Lilian Consuelo Sosa Orellana. His father joined the Guatemalan Army at age 17 during the Guatemalan Civil War, and rose to be part of the Presidential General Staff during the government of Carlos Arana Osorio. After returning from military service, he was a transporter for the United Fruit Company and later Chiquita.[1]

Pineda spent part of his childhood in Santo Tomás de Castilla, attending primary school there, later moving to Guatemala City to pursue further education, eventually studying at the Colegio San José de los Infantes. Between 1989 and 1990, he worked in a jewelry store in the United States owned by a friend.[1][4]

Pineda currently owns businesses in a few sectors, including agriculture (growing African palms, bananas and other fruits; cattle ranching), petroleum (gas stations), and transport.[1][5][6]

During Hurricane Eta and Hurricane Iota in 2020, Pineda lent an aircraft he owned to help and evacuate people in Alta Verapaz Department and Izabal Department.[1][7]

Political career

Pineda's political career unofficially began in 2019, when he was mentioned as a possible running mate for the candidacy of Mario Estrada of the National Change Union in that year's presidential election. However, this ended up not materializing, and Pineda joined Avanza,[5] where he was elected secretary general of the party's branch in Izabal Department.[1]

After the 2019 elections and the dissolution of Avanza, Pineda joined and left several political parties that were in the process of forming. During this period, he began creating content on TikTok.[1][5]

Lead-up to presidential candidacy

In 2022, Pineda joined Cambio, another political party in formation, which was linked to the children of former presidential candidate Manuel Baldizón (at the time still in prison in the United States for money laundering).[1] Pineda began rising within the organizations ranks and was described as a potential presidential candidate for them, but resigned after Baldizón returned to Guatemala and began participating in Cambio's affairs. After leaving Cambio, Pineda engaged in talks with the Guatemalan People's Party and Bienestar Nacional[8] before finally deciding to join Citizen Prosperity, where he was announced as the party's presidential candidate on 5 February 2023 for the 2023 election. His naming as the presidential candidate so quickly after he joined led to the resignation of the Secretary General of the party (and former Minister of the Economy), Antonio Malouf, who had previously been considered the party's likely presidential nominee.[9] Pineda was officially registered as the party's presidential candidate on 7 March, with YouTuber Efraín Orozco (who had previously joined Cambio along with him) announced as the vice presidential candidate.[10]

Campaign

Pineda experienced a sharp rise in opinion polls in mid-April 2023, finishing between first and third place in those conducted since then. The media has explained this is due to his outsider profile, ability to harness social media, and to communicate closely and colloquially with voters. Pineda's social media strategy was being managed by Cristian Aguilar, who had assisted fellow outsider candidate Jimmy Morales in 2015. Morales ended up winning the election for the presidency.[1]

Disqualification

On 9 May 2023, the Cambio party filed an amparo with the Administrative Litigation Chamber against Citizen Prosperity, arguing that they had made several errors when holding their party assemblies required for the nomination of candidates.[11] On 19 May, the Chamber accepted the amparo, suspending Pineda's presidential candidacy as well as the candidacy for 218 candidates for mayoral and legislative races. Pineda stated that he would appeal the decision to the Constitutional Court.[12][13] On 26 May, the Constitutional Court rejected Pineda's appeal.[14]

Personal life

Pineda married María Guadalupe Hurtarte in July 1996, and has three children.[1]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 "Carlos Pineda: el finquero y empresario que rompió la política tradicional desde Tiktok". Prensa Libre (in Spanish). 8 May 2023. Retrieved 25 May 2023.
  2. ↑ "El náufrago político que domina TikTok en Guatemala". relato.gt (in Spanish). 17 April 2023. Retrieved 25 May 2023.
  3. ↑ "Political newcomer Pineda leads poll in Guatemala's presidential race". Reuters. 2 May 2023. Retrieved 8 May 2023.
  4. ↑ "Qué relación tienen candidatos de la UCN con Prosperidad Ciudadana, el partido que postula a Carlos Pineda". Prensa Libre (in Spanish). 2 May 2023. Retrieved 25 May 2023.
  5. 1 2 3 "El náufrago político que domina TikTok en Guatemala". relato.gt (in Spanish). 17 April 2023. Retrieved 25 May 2023.
  6. ↑ Bin, Henry (6 July 2022). "¿Quién es Carlos Pineda? El hombre detrás del partido de los hijos de Manuel Baldizón". Con Criterio (in Spanish). Retrieved 25 May 2023.
  7. ↑ "Resumen 2020: Los héroes que desafiaron los efectos de las tormentas Eta e Iota". Prensa Libre (in Spanish). 21 December 2020. Retrieved 25 May 2023.
  8. ↑ La Platicadita con Carlos Pineda. El Bencho. 26 April 2023 – via YouTube.
  9. ↑ Blanco, Engelberth (24 January 2023). "Pineda salió de Cambio y ahora va a Prosperidad Ciudadana como presidenciable". La Hora (in Spanish). Retrieved 25 May 2023.
  10. ↑ «Binomio presidencial de Prosperidad Ciudadana (DGRC-420-2023)». Tribunal Supremo Electoral. 7 March 2023. Accessed 2 May 2023.
  11. ↑ Duarte, Mónica (7 May 2023). "Ex aliados de Pineda, los Baldizón, presentan amparo en su contra". La Hora (in Spanish). Retrieved 25 May 2023.
  12. ↑ "Sala ampara a partido Cambio en proceso contra Prosperidad Ciudadana y suspendería candidatura de Carlos Pineda, quien anuncia apelación". Prensa Libre (in Spanish). 19 May 2023. Retrieved 25 May 2023.
  13. ↑ "Elecciones Generales 2023: Los cuatro supuestos errores que le costarían la campaña a Carlos Pineda y 218 candidatos más". Prensa Libre (in Spanish). 19 May 2023. Retrieved 25 May 2023.
  14. ↑ "Guatemala's top court ends candidacy of leading presidential hopeful 1 month before vote". AP News. 26 May 2023. Retrieved 27 May 2023.


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