My Candidacy for PARLACEN

In 1984, I met Álvaro Arzú. At that time, he owned a travel agency and would come to Agroquímicas de Guatemala, where I worked, because he was a friend of the engineers. I held the position of radio operator, and my job was to verify the daily sales reports with the warehouses located throughout Guatemala. It was my first job after graduating from school.

His office was a few levels below mine. He was organizing his campaign for mayor, and I remember that fireworks were set off when he won the mayoral election in 1986.

Years later, we met again at the inauguration of a restaurant in Zone 10. There, he asked me to help him with his campaign to become president. I accepted, and he hired me to work at a newly opened headquarters of the National Advancement Party, PAN (Partido de Avanzada Nacional).

My responsibility was to receive new members joining the party and direct them to the different secretariats. There were approximately twelve secretariats representing different political currents, and they were dedicated to organizing events to gain electoral support.

One day, I gave him a book titled Selected Thoughts of Gandhi. Later, he told me, “I am going to sign the Peace Accords; I will be the president who signs peace.” And that is how people from the left began to approach him for dialogue, and the negotiations began. Then he asked me to visit groups of people from the left in different parts of the country.

It was a very important experience in my life to work with PAN, because I learned what a political party truly is. I was awarded a trophy because they said my work was outstanding; people appreciated and cared for me.

The National Secretariat of Professionals of the National Advancement Party awards Vera Bolaños as an OUTSTANDING PANISTA WOMAN.

Guatemala, November 1997

When Álvaro Arzú was registered as a presidential candidate, I was registered as a candidate for PARLACEN. Since he won by a very narrow margin over the other candidate, I did not enter PARLACEN, but I appreciated the gesture he made.

The Central American Parliament (PARLACEN) is the political and democratic institution of the Central American Integration System (SICA). Its main objective is to promote integration, peace, security, and the development of the region.

At that time, Álvaro had considerable support from people with economic, military, religious, and political influence. Everything gradually came together for him to become president. Thanks to God, he won the presidency by a small margin, and representatives from the United Nations and friendly countries began to arrive.

Pope John Paul II visited the country, supported the signing of the Peace Accords, and peace was finally signed on December 29, 1996.

After the signing of the Peace Accords, I gave several talks about the Peace Accords and the United Nations Verification Mission in Guatemala, MINUGUA. They provided me with printed copies of the agreements to distribute among the attendees.

Arzú hired me to work at the Private Secretariat of the Presidency, and I became Director of Protocol at La Aurora International Airport. I had the honor of receiving Pope John Paul II, the Queen of Spain, and the many guests invited by the President, whose presence was countless due to the historic event of the signing of the Peace Accords.

Later, there was a PAN assembly, and some people who were envious of Álvaro betrayed him and took the party away from him. Others said that Álvaro wanted to nominate a family member as the presidential candidate, while the members of PAN wanted a different candidate. Years later, I resigned from PAN because I was affiliated with the party, and I did not agree with what had happened. To this day, I have not joined any other political party.