Guatemala arrests former presidential candidate on eve of UN graft team exit

Guatemalan police arrested former presidential candidate Sandra Torres at her home on Monday on charges of violating campaign finance rules. She was taken to a courthouse in the city to appear before judge, who ordered Torres to placed in custody to await trial. At the court house, Torres said she felt unwell and was afraid she would faint. Her center-left National Unity of Hope party called her arrest politically motivated, saying in a statement that she had recently offered to cooperate in the case.

A former first lady, the 63-year-old Torres finished second to President-elect last month in her third attempt to win the office. For more than a decade one of the Central American country's most prominent politicians, she has long faced accusations of corruption, allegations she has denied. According to the attorney general's office, UNE received some $3.5 million in undeclared financing during the 2015 presidential election. UNE holds the largest number of seats in the new Congress.