Sunday, September 20, 2015

Jimmy Morales used to do blackface comedy. He’s now poised to be Guatemala’s president.

Comedian Jimmy Morales, a candidate for president of Guatemala whose outsider status has helped him surge ahead in the polls. Sound familiar? (Esteban Biba/European Pressphoto Agency)

epa04919418 Comedian Jimmy Morales, presidential candidate for the National Convergence Front, speaks during a press conference in Guatemala City, Guatemala, 07 September 2015. Morales is leading the first round of Guatemala's elections, held on 06 September. With nearly 65 percent of the votes counted, Morales, 46, is leading the race to the president's office, having already garnered 26.64 percent of the total votes. Morales, with a degree in business administration but better known for his work in television, has been the big surprise in the elections. EPA/ESTEBAN BIBA

By Joshua-Partlow-September 19

MEXICO CITY — As a TV comedian, Jimmy Morales has played bumbling drunks, spies, gangsters, a toga-wearing Socrates, even a blackface character with an Afro wig and a painted white mouth. Among the plots of his Guatemalan comedy bits was a cowboy who accidentally became president.

Jimmy Morales Used to Do Blackface Comedy. He’s Now Poised to Be Guatemala’s President. by Thavam Ratna