Pineda had appealed the ruling, but it was upheld by the court, citing noncompliance with the country's election laws.

Pineda responded by accusing the court of endorsing "electoral fraud" and saying that "corruption won, Guatemala lost." The disqualification of Pineda follows the disqualification of fellow conservative Roberto Arzú and the disqualification of left-leaning Indigenous candidate Thelma Cabrera.

Critics have accused the administration of Guatemalan President Alejandro Giammattei of politically motivated disqualifications to weed out candidates seen as unfavourable to the government establishment.

Guatemala's President, Jimmy Morales, has been disqualified from running for re-election in the upcoming presidential election due to a constitutional ban on seeking consecutive terms.

The decision was made by the country's constitutional court on the basis of a complaint filed by opposition groups.

Morales's opponent in the election, ex-Guatemalan President, Alvaro Colom, had filed the complaint, arguing that Morales's immunity from prosecution should be lifted so that he can be investigated for alleged campaign finance violations.

The court ruled that Morales's immunity did not apply to the case, opening the door for Colom to proceed with the complaint.

Morales has called the ruling "political persecution" and plans to appeal the decision.

Despite his disqualification, Morales remains popular among the country's conservative majority, giving his party, the National Convergence Front (FCN), a strong chance of winning the election.

However, three other parties are leading in the polls, with Sandra Torres of the Grand National Alliance (GANA) and Edmond Mulet of the National Advancement Party (PAN) also in the running.