Peru Awaits Presidential Election Results Amid Polarized Contest

As Peruvians prepare to vote for their new president on Sunday, the nation faces a highly polarized contest. The election pits Keiko Fujimori, a hard-right candidate, against leftist Roberto Sánchez. Currently, Fujimori leads slightly in the polls, with around 25% of voters still undecided. Recent reports suggest Sánchez may have closed the gap in the past week.

Keiko Fujimori, familiar to many as ‘Keiko’, campaigns under the shadow of her father, Alberto Fujimori. Her father’s tenure is known for addressing hyperinflation and quelling the Shining Path insurgency, notorious in the 1980s and 1990s. However, his term is also marked by authoritarian measures, including running death squads and engaging in extensive corruption. These actions led to a 25-year prison sentence.

Political analyst Paula Távara warns that if Keiko secures the presidency, she might present moderate discourse but could govern with authoritarian methods. Távara anticipates a possible repressive response to protests.

This runoff marks Keiko’s fourth consecutive attempt to become president after previous losses in 2011, 2016, and 2021. Critics accuse her of not accepting defeat in earlier elections and allege that her Popular Force party has hindered governmental stability and investigations into corruption and organized crime.

Keiko proposes to tackle the rising crime rate in Peru with a firm approach, advocating for order amid the extortion that plagues the nation. Her critics, however, see her as a source of ongoing political instability.

Meanwhile, opponent Roberto Sánchez, also unpopular, campaigned wearing a sombrero from Pedro Castillo, a former leftist president whose administration collapsed due to accusations of extremism and corruption. Castillo was ousted in December 2022 after trying unsuccessfully to disband congress.

Initially, Sánchez proposed policies akin to economic models seen in Cuba or North Korea, such as nationalizing major industries. Although he has since attempted to present a more centrist stance, his credibility is weakened by his association with Antauro Humala, a radical former military officer known for a deadly uprising in 2005.

The election polls will close at 5 p.m. in Peru. A winner may be announced the same night, but close results could mean a longer wait for the final outcome.