Guatemala's President wants wife back after political divorce

Alvaro Colom and Sandra Torres (Getty Images)

The former president of Guatemala, Alvaro Colom, hopes to be reconciled with the wife he divorced in the run-up to last year's election.

Mr Colom's separation from Sandra Torres met with cynicism since it was thought to be part of a scheme to help her flout laws preventing the spouses of presidents from running for office.

After stating her ambition to stand in November's election, on a left-wing ticket suspiciously similar to her (by then ex) husband's, Ms Torres was accused of trying to undermine the constitution. Her bid for power was thwarted by the Supreme Court, which dubbed the divorce a "sham". She withdrew, giving the rightist Otto Perez Molina victory.

Mr Colom said this week that he hoped to be re-united with Ms Torres, to whom he was married for a decade, after handing power to Mr Molina on Saturday. "I intend to recover a relationship that became very complicated last year," he said. "I don't know whether I'll be successful but I'll make the effort and we must give it time."