Runoff Election in Peru: Fujimori Narrowly Leads Sánchez, Vote Count Still Underway

Background: The Candidates

Her opponent Roberto Sánchez is 57 years old and is running for president for the first time. The left-wing politician belongs to the Juntos por el Perú alliance and served as Minister of Foreign Trade and Tourism from 2021 to 2022 in the government of former President Pedro Castillo. He advocates for the rights of the poor rural population and calls for reform of the police and judiciary.

More than 27 million Peruvians were called to the polls on Sunday. After the final count, the Supreme Electoral Court has until mid-July to officially announce a winner. The inauguration of the new president is scheduled for July 28.

In the first round of the presidential election, Fujimori and Sánchez each received less than 30 percent of the votes. Since none of the 35 candidates had achieved the required majority in April, the runoff became necessary. Even before the runoff, according to pollsters, a fifth of the roughly 27 million eligible voters were still considered undecided.

The Election and the Preliminary Results

Exit polls by the institutes Ipsos and Daum had given Fujimori a narrow lead over Sánchez immediately after the polls closed. With around 36 percent of votes counted, Fujimori was leading with about 53 percent against Sánchez with 47 percent. After counting just over half of the polling stations, Fujimori's lead amounted to nearly six percentage points.

It was expected that Fujimori's lead would shrink once the results from rural areas were tallied. Fujimori is of Japanese descent and became known at the age of 19 when she took on the role of First Lady after her mother separated from her father.

Analyst Paulo Vilca of the Institute of Peruvian Studies (IEP) told the AFP news agency that the result reflects the division of the country and that no political force holds a dominant position. Peru's political situation is thus marked by a permanent conflict between parliament and government.

Peru's Political Situation

Congress can remove presidents from office for "moral incapacity." Peru has had eight presidents in the past ten years. Peru has around 35 million inhabitants.

In the event of an election victory, Keiko Fujimori plans in her first hundred days in office to deploy the military, tighten prison conditions, and deport migrants without legal status. She also plans a deregulation of the economy. Before the first round, the 51-year-old Fujimori said: "Heute, da Peru unter Kriminellen und Erpressern leidet, verlangen die Menschen nach einer Fujimori - hier bin ich".

Fujimori's Campaign Promises

Roberto Sánchez, on the other hand, announced that in the event of an election victory he would abolish laws that, in his view, benefit organized crime. Sánchez accuses Fujimori of having contributed to the political crisis, saying her party bears partial responsibility for the ouster of several presidents.

Sánchez also advocates for a stronger role of the state in the economy. He regards the ex-president as a victim of a political maneuver. Sánchez is supported by followers of left-wing former President Pedro Castillo, who is in prison after an attempted coup. After casting his vote, Sánchez visited Pedro Castillo in prison.

Sánchez's Plans and Castillo

In the event of an election victory, Sánchez announced that he would pardon Pedro Castillo. Pedro Castillo is currently imprisoned.

The campaign was marked by violence and anger at the political leaders, whom many voters hold responsible for the country's years of instability. A leading trade unionist accused Fujimori of wanting to carry out a "slow coup."

Keiko Fujimori was elected to Peru's Congress in 2006 after an unsuccessful presidential candidacy. She founded the "Fuerza Popular" party and later focused on leading it. In October 2018, Fujimori was placed in pretrial detention on suspicion of bribery. The Constitutional Court lifted the pretrial detention one year later.

Past of the Fujimori Family

In the 2021 presidential election, Keiko Fujimori unsuccessfully attempted to have part of the votes cast declared invalid. Alberto Fujimori was celebrated by his supporters for defeating the left-wing rebel group "Shining Path" and stabilizing the economy. He was later convicted of human rights violations and corruption. Alberto Fujimori died in 2024, and his legacy shapes the political identity of his daughter.