Peru's Sanchez and Fujimori head to presidential run-off
Roberto Sanchez, the leftist candidate for the presidency in Peru, will compete against Keiko Fujimori in the run-off scheduled for June, following his second-place finish in the first-round voting held in April, as confirmed by official results released on Friday with all votes counted. The lengthy counting process sparked allegations of fraud, particularly from right-wing contender Rafael Lopez Aliaga, who closely followed Sanchez. Fujimori, the daughter of the late former president Alberto Fujimori, aims for the presidency for the fourth time after leading a divided candidate field. Sanchez, a congressman supported by imprisoned former leftist President Pedro Castillo, received 12.03%, just ahead of Lopez Aliaga’s 11.90%, with a margin of nearly 21,210 votes. The extended tally led to the resignation of the chief electoral officer, who is now being investigated by the public prosecutor. Observers from the European Union reported no substantial evidence of fraud.
Key facts
- Roberto Sanchez and Keiko Fujimori will face off in Peru's June presidential run-off
- Sanchez secured second place with 12.03% of the vote in the April first-round
- Fujimori topped the fragmented field and is seeking the presidency for the fourth time
- Rafael Lopez Aliaga finished third with 11.90%, trailing Sanchez by about 21,210 votes
- The month-long vote count led to allegations of fraud, especially from Lopez Aliaga
- Peru's top electoral official resigned and is under investigation by the public prosecutor
- European Union observers found no concrete evidence of fraud
- Sanchez is backed by jailed former leftist President Pedro Castillo
Entities
Institutions
- European Union
Locations
- Peru
- Lima