No joke: Former TV comedian wins presidential election

Jimmy Morales, a former TV comedian who has never held office, swept to power in Guatemala's presidential election on Sunday, after milking public anger over a corruption scandal that deepened distrust of the country's political establishment.

The 46-year-old Morales overwhelmingly beat center-left rival and former first lady Sandra Torres in a runoff vote despite his lack of government experience and some policy ideas that strike many as eccentric.

The headquarters of Morales' center-right National Convergence Front party erupted in celebration as official returns showed he had around 68 percent support in a landslide victory.

Voters pointed to widespread discontent with Guatemala's political class, compounded by a UN-backed investigation into a multimillion dollar customs racket that led last month to the resignation and arrest of former president Otto Perez.

"As president I received a mandate, and the mandate of the people of Guatemala is to fight against the corruption that is consuming us," Morales said on Sunday night.

The US government has strongly supported the UN-backed investigators and their success has helped push against corruption in Central America, where economic hardship and gang violence spurred an exodus of migrants to the United States.