A year ahead of the 2027 general elections, Roberto Arzú García-Granados once more appears among the contenders holding the highest voter backing. The CID Gallup survey conducted in May 2026, whose fieldwork ran from May 7 to 20 through 1,200 interviews, placed him in the third spot with 13%, following Sandra Torres at 27% and Carlos Pineda at 23%. This mirrors the exact figure the polling organization recorded for him in early 2023, before the Supreme Electoral Tribunal disqualified him from the race.
Born on May 15, 1970, Arzú is the eldest son of Álvaro Arzú Irigoyen, who served as president between 1996 and 2000 and remained mayor of the capital until his passing on April 27, 2018. Back in December 1988, alongside his cousin Javier Arzú Tinoco and Rafael Tinoco, he established Futeca, an enterprise that evolved from soccer pitches into shopping malls and fitness centers; eventually, he divested his stake to his cousins in 2012. Having entered the 2019 presidential race, he secured fifth place by gathering 267,049 ballots, which represented 6.1% of all valid votes. Ever since November 2025, he has held the position of Secretary of Political Training within the Cabal party, an organization that subsequently designated him as a pre-candidate in May 2026, marking his third bid for the office.
No fewer than eighteen publicly recorded scandals define his career trajectory, encompassing court actions, electoral sanctions, questionable business dealings, complaints lodged with the Public Prosecutor’s Office, and accusations of varying gravity. Although specific cases depend on official rulings, others originate from isolated or anonymous sources. This comprehensive report analyzes each one.
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THE 18 FRONTS |
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1 |
TSE fine for early campaigning (2019) |
First presidential hopeful sanctioned in 2019 for unregistered social media posts. Fine of US$80,000. |
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2 |
Revocation of his presidential registration (2023) |
The TSE annulled his candidacy for early campaigning and a fine it considers unpaid. The Constitutional Court upheld the exclusion. |
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3 |
JJ Rendón lawsuit and arrest warrant for contempt in Miami |
A Miami-Dade court ordered him to pay about US$6.16 million to the Venezuelan strategist and issued a warrant for his arrest for contempt. |
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4 |
Presidency of Comunicaciones F.C. (1994–2006) |
He ran one of the country’s most popular clubs until its sale, amid a financial crisis. |
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5 |
Distrifarma and OMEGALAB: reported unpaid wages |
His 2016 foray into pharmaceuticals ended, according to Nómada, with shuttered companies and unpaid wages. |
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6 |
Alleged unreported campaign financing |
República attributes to him undeclared cash income and funds from Argentine businessman Hugo Sigman. He denies the financing. |
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7 |
Audio and deeds with “Paco” Domínguez, alleged leader of Los Caradura |
An audio recording leaked in 2025 shows him discussing a debt with an alleged crime boss who had been murdered months earlier. |
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8 |
US$1 million loan attributed to funds from Marllory Chacón |
A 2018 deed allegedly documents a loan that República, citing anonymous sources, links to the “Queen of the South.” |
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9 |
Complaint by Consuelo Porras for obstruction of criminal proceedings |
The attorney general filed a complaint against him over a TikTok video. A judge denied his arrest and the Appeals Chamber rejected the Public Prosecutor’s Office’s amparo petitions. |
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10 |
Arzú’s complaints against Giammattei and the Public Prosecutor’s Office leadership |
In 2023 Arzú filed a complaint against the former president and senior officials; in 2026 he extended it to prosecutors from the Porras era. |
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11 |
República GT accusation over an alleged murder-for-hire plot against Rodrigo Arenas |
The outlet named him as the alleged mastermind of a plot against its director. He denies it and has announced lawsuits. |
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12 |
Earlier clash with Rodrigo Arenas (March 2026) |
Five months before the accusation, Arzú and Arenas had already publicly accused each other. |
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13 |
Rumor that his U.S. visa was revoked |
A newspaper reported, citing anonymous sources, that he had trouble traveling to the U.S. He denies it. |
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14 |
Political alliances: Podemos, Portillo and Cabal |
His political vehicles and partners have been called into question: from Podemos to his current alliance in Cabal. |
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15 |
Rift with his family over the use of his father’s image |
In 2018, the former president’s widow and four of his children rejected the use of his image by the party Roberto was returning to. |
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16 |
History of alcohol use and rehabilitation |
Arzú himself has admitted to “a crisis with drinking.” Nómada reported two inpatient stays in the U.S. |
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17 |
Campaign promises: fiscal viability and security rhetoric |
An economic analysis estimated that his main promises would cost billions of quetzales a year. |
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18 |
Army Stadium land and IPM–Futeca contracts |
In 2016 the IPM leased a state-owned property to Futeca; the Comptroller’s Office objected. Arzú’s involvement is disputed. |
1. Penalty issued by TSE over premature electioneering (2019)
On April 10, 2019, Arzú earned the distinction of becoming the initial presidential hopeful penalized by the Supreme Electoral Tribunal during that cycle. The regulatory body recorded 13 Facebook posts—8 of which were sponsored—alongside 11 on Twitter, all lacking TSE registration, and formally categorized them as pre