A popular Guatemalan television presenter is gaining ground as an independent presidential candidate as she capitalizes on angry voters fed up with a corruption scandal that has rocked the government of President Otto Perez Molina with massive protests demanding his resignation.
Leftist candidate Sandra Torres is running third, although the polls have not reveal how far behind she is.
Jimmy Morales has narrowed the lead against opposition candidate Manuel Baldizon, according to polls released Thursday.
The polls show Baldizon is leading the race with 30 percent of the vote, while Morales has gradually increased his support to 21 percent.
The presidential elections are scheduled for Sept. 6, but if none of the candidates pass the 50-percent threshold required to win in the first round, a second runoff round is slated for Oct. 25.
The survey was carried out by polling firm Borge y Asociados for magazine Contrapoder between Aug. 7 and 13 and has a margin error of 2.8 percent.
According to Reuters, a previous survey by Borge y Asociados had put Baldizon at 35 percent support, with Morales trailing at 14.5 percent.
Felipe Noguera Consultants conducted a separate survey between Aug. 8 and 16. It showed Baldizon, the leader of the center-right Renewed Democratic Liberty Party (LIDER), with 26 percent of the vote, while Morales with 23.2 percent. The margin error of this poll is considered to be 2.6 percent.
Perez Molina was forced to purge his cabinet of several ministers in the last three months following allegations of bribery and other acts of corruption.
Investigations into government corruption were driven by a U.N.-backed anti-graft body known as the CICIG, and its findings have also involved senior officials inside Baldizon's LIDER party.
Voter anger over the corruption scandals has played into the hands of Morales, who has vowed to eradicate the graft.
"Showing zero tolerance to corruption will allow us to cleanse our institutions and to restore confidence in them," Morales told Reuters on Thursday.