Guatemala's former first lady loses her bid to run

Guatemala's former first lady Sandra Torres on Monday night lost her final challenge to a constitutional prohibition preventing her from running for president in next month's general elections. In a unanimous decision, the Central American nation's Constitutional Court ruled that Torres cannot be included on the September 11 ballot.

The top court's decision leaves her UNE-Gana coalition without a contender.

Torres' supporters, who were camped outside the Constitutional Court on Monday night as the justices met, prayed and wept after the ruling was announced.

Guatemala's Constitution bans direct family members of sitting presidents from running for the country's top office. President Álvaro Colom divorced his wife earlier this year in what critics said was a sham split to skirt the prohibition.

Torres first registered her candidacy on June 29, but it was quickly rejected by the Supreme Electoral Tribunal. Since early July, the UNE-Gana coalition has been filing and losing its appeals - the last being on July 30 when the Supreme Court rejected her challenge.

"We are very proud and happy with the decision," said the National Development Action (ADN) presidential candidate Adela Camacho.