Peruvians will vote Sunday in a presidential runoff between veteran right-wing candidate Keiko Fujimori and leftist lawmaker Roberto Sánchez, as the country grapples with rising crime, persistent political turmoil, corruption scandals, and widespread voter apathy. The winner will become Peru's ninth president in a decade.
Fujimori, daughter of the late former President Alberto Fujimori, secured 17% of the vote in the first round in April. Sánchez, a former trade and tourism minister, won 12%, narrowly beating ultra-conservative former Lima mayor Rafael López Aliaga. The contest mirrors the polarized left-right divide seen in 2021.
This is Fujimori's fourth presidential bid and possibly her strongest chance. She entered politics at age 19 when she was appointed first lady after her parents' marriage collapsed during her father's authoritarian rule in the 1990s.
Sánchez, 57, served as a minister under populist leftist President Pedro Castillo and claims to carry his mantle, drawing support from rural voters and even donning Castillo's trademark sombrero. Castillo was ousted in December 2022 after attempting to dissolve Congress and rule by decree. In November 2025, he was sentenced to 11 years and five months in prison for rebellion. Sánchez won votes in rural Andean regions where many sympathize with Castillo and believe he was unjustly removed.
Polls predict an extremely tight race, consistent with Peru's last three presidential elections. An Ipsos poll released Thursday showed Sánchez leading Fujimori 43.8% to 43.2%.
The campaign, which began with a record 35 candidates in April, ends with a choice between two who together represent only 29% of the total vote. Voters are exhausted and deeply cynical after a period of unprecedented instability, with Peru having had eight presidents since July 2016, only three of whom were formally elected. The rest took power through a non-representative congressional system and, in many cases, were ill-suited for the highest office.
The most recent president ousted, José Jerí, 39, was charged with influence peddling in secret meetings with a Chinese businessman. He was replaced by current head of state José María Balcázar, 83, known for supporting child marriage.
“Politicians have lost a lot of credibility, and very few people still trust them,” said Santiago Pedraglio, a sociologist and professor at the Pontifical Catholic University of Lima. “If voting were not mandatory in Peru, the abstention rate would be much higher.” Over six million Peruvians did not vote in the first round in April, despite fines. Another three million intentionally spoiled their ballots in protest.
Fujimori carries the legacy of her father, who served 16 years in prison for authorizing kidnappings and killings during his government's “war on terror” before his death in 2024. Despite facing a strong anti-Fujimori movement, she has leveraged her father's “iron fist” reputation, promising a tough stance on crime as Peruvians face soaring extortion and murder rates. Some voters fear Fujimori would lead an “authoritarian government where the separation of powers would not be respected.” Her Fuerza Popular party holds more seats than any other in Congress.
Pedraglio said Sánchez has raised fears that he would lead not just a “leftist government” but a “bad government” like Castillo's, whom many consider incompetent. Sánchez has pledged to free Castillo, whom he describes as a victim of a “coup plot.” He also vows to return the government “to the people” and draft a new constitution. However, he has backtracked on a previous pledge to remove central bank governor Julio Velarde.
“The time has come for a true rebirth of our nation: a sovereign, fair country built from the grassroots of the Peruvian people,” Sánchez told foreign reporters last month.
