Peru Heads to Pivotal Presidential Runoff: Fujimori vs. Sánchez

On June 7, Peruvian voters will return to the polls for a second round of presidential elections following a tumultuous first round on April 12. The contest unfolds against years of political instability in Peru, where nine presidents have held office in a decade, many forced to resign or impeached.

First-round results dragged on for over a month

The initial round saw a record 35 candidates vying for office. On election day, many polling stations experienced delays in distributing ballots, with some opening hours late, leaving an estimated 52,000 voters unable to cast their votes. Authorities extended voting hours in affected areas, including the capital Lima and overseas polling stations such as Paterson, New Jersey.

Ballot counting stretched over a month, as officials reviewed nearly 15,000 contested ballots. Final results were released in mid-May: Keiko Fujimori led with 17% of the vote (2,877,678 votes), followed by Roberto Sánchez with 12% (2,015,114 votes). Far-right candidate Rafael López Aliaga came third with 11.9% (1,993,905 votes). A margin of just over 21,200 votes kept López Aliaga from advancing to the runoff. He repeatedly alleged fraud, but election monitors found no evidence of irregularities.

The counting delays also led to the resignation of the head of the National Office of Electoral Processes (ONPE), though he denied any wrongdoing.

The candidates: Keiko Fujimori (right-wing) vs. Roberto Sánchez (left-wing)

Keiko Fujimori, 50, is the daughter of former President Alberto Fujimori, criticized for human rights abuses in the 1990s. She entered politics at age 19 when her father appointed her first lady after his divorce. She leads the right-wing Popular Force party, which once controlled Peru's Congress and has been accused of using legislative power to undermine leftist presidents. This is her fourth consecutive appearance in a presidential runoff (2011, 2016, 2021, and 2026). Her campaign slogan, “Peru with Order,” promises to “defeat terrorism,” stabilize the economy, and impose a 60-day state of emergency to combat social unrest. Thousands have protested her candidacy under the banner “Keiko no va” (Keiko won't go).

Roberto Sánchez, 51, is the candidate of the center-left movement Together for Peru (JP). A psychologist before entering politics, he served as a congressman representing Lima from 2021 and briefly as Minister of Foreign Trade and Tourism under President Pedro Castillo (2021-2022), until Castillo's impeachment and arrest. Sánchez advocates anti-poverty measures, police reform, and a new constitution. He calls for compensation for victims of the Alberto Fujimori government and the repeal of amnesty laws that protect the military and police. In the campaign's final days, he moderated his economic platform, endorsing an “open market economy that respects international free trade agreements,” a move seen as an appeal to centrist voters.

Potential swing from absentee voters, blank and invalid ballots

The first round saw high abstention: over 7.16 million eligible voters did not vote out of more than 27 million registered. Only 20 million actually cast ballots. Of those, more than 11.7% submitted blank ballots and 5% invalid ones. These non-voters and protest voters could significantly shift the runoff outcome if they decide to participate.

Polls show tight race

The final Ipsos poll released on May 31 showed Fujimori leading with 38% support, Sánchez with 35%. Some 15% of voters remained undecided, with the rest planning to cast blank or invalid ballots.

Significance for Latin America and Peruvian democracy

If Fujimori wins, she would join a wave of right-wing leaders in Latin America, such as Javier Milei in Argentina, José Antonio Kast in Chile, Daniel Noboa in Ecuador, and Rodrigo Paz in Bolivia. Fourteen former right-wing presidents, including Iván Duque of Colombia and Felipe Calderón of Mexico, have written letters praising her.

Peru has endured deep political instability, with nine presidents in a decade, eroding public trust in government. A May Ipsos poll found 62% of voters considered corruption the top issue, second only to crime (63%). The winner will take office on July 28, Peru's Independence Day, for a five-year term, but the prospect of restoring stability remains uncertain.