Peru is heading toward a presidential runoff between conservative Keiko Fujimori and left-wing candidate Roberto Sanchez, according to France24, as a defeated rival threatened to mount protests over alleged electoral fraud.
With more than 90% of votes counted, Fujimori held the lead with approximately 17% of the vote. Sanchez secured second place with around 12%, narrowly edging out Rafael Lopez Aliaga, who stood at 11.9%, according to the report.
The slim margin separating Sanchez and Lopez Aliaga set the stage for dispute. Lopez Aliaga signaled he would contest the results and organize protests, citing concerns over fraud, though the report did not detail specific evidence presented to support those claims.
Who are the candidates?
Keiko Fujimori is the daughter of former Peruvian president Alberto Fujimori, who governed the country from 1990 to 2000. She has run for president multiple times and is a prominent figure on the Peruvian right. Her previous bids for the presidency ended in narrow runoff defeats.
Roberto Sanchez is a left-wing candidate whose placement in second position sets up an ideologically polarized second round. Peru has seen significant political instability in recent years, with multiple presidents removed or resigning under legal and congressional pressure.
A familiar political divide
The pairing of Fujimori and a left-wing opponent echoes previous Peruvian election cycles, which have repeatedly produced sharply divided runoffs. In 2021, Pedro Castillo, a socialist teacher, defeated Fujimori in a closely contested second round before being removed from office in 2022 following an impeachment crisis.
Fraud allegations have also featured in past Peruvian elections. Fujimori herself alleged fraud after her 2021 runoff loss, claims that election authorities ultimately rejected.
The June runoff will take place against a backdrop of ongoing political turbulence in the country. Peru has had six presidents in roughly a decade, and public trust in political institutions remains fragile, according to various regional observers.
Results are expected to be confirmed once the remaining votes are fully tabulated. Electoral authorities had not issued a formal declaration of the first-round results at the time of reporting.
