GUATEMALA CITY – A court official says Guatemala's first lady is ending her eight-year marriage so she can seek to succeed her husband as president.
Guatemala's constitution prohibits members of a president's extended family from running for the presidency.
Judiciary spokesman Edwin Escobar says divorce proceedings began Monday between Sandra Torres de Colom and President Alvaro Colom, who cannot run for re-election.
If both parties agree, the divorce could be final in about a month.
Torres announced March 8 that she will be the presidential candidate of the governing National Unity for Hope party in the September election.
Torres' spokesman could not be reached for comment.
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