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| Guatemala President Alvaro Colom granted divorce | Guatemala President Alvaro Colom granted divorce |
| (about 11 hours later) | |
| A family court in Guatemala has approved the divorce of President Alvaro Colom and his wife Sandra Torres. | A family court in Guatemala has approved the divorce of President Alvaro Colom and his wife Sandra Torres. |
| The decision clears the way for her to stand for election to be his successor. | The decision clears the way for her to stand for election to be his successor. |
| The couple filed for divorce in March to overcome a constitutional ban on close relatives of the president running for the top office. | |
| The court rejected numerous legal challenges to the divorce, which has provoked great controversy. | The court rejected numerous legal challenges to the divorce, which has provoked great controversy. |
| The opposition has accused the president and now ex-first lady of fraud. | The opposition has accused the president and now ex-first lady of fraud. |
| 'Great love' | 'Great love' |
| The main opposition candidate for September's presidential election, former General Otto Perez Molina, told the BBC he believed Ms Torres' candidacy would still violate the constitution. | The main opposition candidate for September's presidential election, former General Otto Perez Molina, told the BBC he believed Ms Torres' candidacy would still violate the constitution. |
| But a spokesman for Ms Torres' party told the BBC that they consider the procedure to be fully legal. | But a spokesman for Ms Torres' party told the BBC that they consider the procedure to be fully legal. |
| Ms Torres confirmed her intention to separate from her husband of eight years last month in a tearful address to the nation. | Ms Torres confirmed her intention to separate from her husband of eight years last month in a tearful address to the nation. |
| She said she and Mr Colom were putting their love for Guatemala ahead of their "great and solid" love for each other. | She said she and Mr Colom were putting their love for Guatemala ahead of their "great and solid" love for each other. |
| The decision means the couple will have to live apart. | The decision means the couple will have to live apart. |
| Ms Torres was Mr Colom's third wife. | Ms Torres was Mr Colom's third wife. |
| She has played a prominent role in Mr Colom's presidency, supervising the government's poverty relief programmes. | She has played a prominent role in Mr Colom's presidency, supervising the government's poverty relief programmes. |
| If elected, she would be Guatemala's first female president. | If elected, she would be Guatemala's first female president. |
| But she is facing a tough challenge from Otto Perez Molina, whose promise of a tough line against rising crime has given him a comfortable lead in the polls. | But she is facing a tough challenge from Otto Perez Molina, whose promise of a tough line against rising crime has given him a comfortable lead in the polls. |