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| Menchu seeks Guatemala presidency | Menchu seeks Guatemala presidency |
| (20 minutes later) | |
| Indigenous activist Rigoberta Menchu says she will run for president in Guatemala's elections this September. | Indigenous activist Rigoberta Menchu says she will run for president in Guatemala's elections this September. |
| Ms Menchu will stand for a coalition of the indigenous party Winaq, which she founded earlier this month, and the left-wing Encounter for Guatemala. | Ms Menchu will stand for a coalition of the indigenous party Winaq, which she founded earlier this month, and the left-wing Encounter for Guatemala. |
| If elected, she will become the first president from Guatemala's indigenous Maya community. | |
| Rigoberta Menchu was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1992 for her work in defence of indigenous rights. | Rigoberta Menchu was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1992 for her work in defence of indigenous rights. |
| She drew attention to abuses during the Guatemalan civil war during which her parents were murdered by the Guatemalan army. | She drew attention to abuses during the Guatemalan civil war during which her parents were murdered by the Guatemalan army. |
| She has since led a campaign for Guatemala's former military rulers to be put on trial. | She has since led a campaign for Guatemala's former military rulers to be put on trial. |
| Looking for change | Looking for change |
| Rigoberta Menchu, 48, made her announcement after talks with Nineth Montenegro, who heads Encounter for Guatemala. | Rigoberta Menchu, 48, made her announcement after talks with Nineth Montenegro, who heads Encounter for Guatemala. |
| "We are two women who share ideas and have extraordinary teams," said Ms Menchu. | "We are two women who share ideas and have extraordinary teams," said Ms Menchu. |
| For her part, Ms Montenegro said that her colleague's candidacy was the start of "a successful process that will change the country". | For her part, Ms Montenegro said that her colleague's candidacy was the start of "a successful process that will change the country". |
| Winaq is a Mayan word meaning "the wholeness of the human being". | Winaq is a Mayan word meaning "the wholeness of the human being". |
| If Rigaberta Menchu were to win, she would be the first woman to hold the office, as well as the first Maya president. | If Rigaberta Menchu were to win, she would be the first woman to hold the office, as well as the first Maya president. |
| More than half of Guatemala's 13 million inhabitants are descendants of the Mayans. | More than half of Guatemala's 13 million inhabitants are descendants of the Mayans. |