Guatemala Candidate

In the May 7 issue of your newspaper, the article “U.S. Is Taking a New Tack in Guatemala” was published under the byline of Kenneth Freed. The article contains misrepresentations and as it refers to myself it contains statements that may seriously be taken as libelous.

I do not understand how Freed in the same article can quote an American official as saying that if I were elected president of Guatemala in the elections to be held this year, my administration would be as corrupt as the present administration. I have never been in public office and neither as a businessman nor as a newspaper editor have I ever abetted nor participated in acts of corruption nor of any form of venality. On the contrary, the newspaper I publish has consistently denounced and condemned all improper activities that have come to our attention or that have become public knowledge.

The American Embassy here in Guatemala has published a complete refutation of Freed’s article denying that the embassy in any way supports me in the Guatemala presidential race. Such an intervention would be completely unacceptable.

This is an indignant denial of all statements made in the article that refer to me.

JORGE CARPIO

Candidate for President

of the Union del Centro Nacional Party

Guatemala