Peru Holds Presidential Runoff Amid Decade of Political Turmoil

Election Overview

Peru is holding a presidential runoff election this Sunday that pits conservative candidate Keiko Fujimori against nationalist congressman Roberto Sanchez. The vote takes place against a backdrop of significant social tension, rising crime rates, and declining public confidence in the nation's political institutions.

According to official results from April's first round, Fujimori led with 17.18% of the vote, while Sanchez followed with 12.03%. While some polls indicated Fujimori held a slight lead heading into the final stretch, Reuters reports that Sanchez may have narrowed that gap in the week preceding the runoff. Approximately one-quarter of voters remained undecided as the election approached.

Candidates and Platforms

Keiko Fujimori, 51, is running on a platform associated with the legacy of her father, former President Alberto Fujimori. The elder Fujimori's tenure was marked by both the suppression of hyperinflation and Maoist insurgents from the Shining Path, as well as the use of death squads—for which he was sentenced to 25 years in prison—and the shuttering of congress.

Fujimori has received endorsements from right-wing figures in Latin America. On June 3, 14 former presidents, including Mexico's Felipe Calderon and Colombia's Ivan Duque, issued a letter praising her "defence of the market economy" and "respect for individual liberties". However, U.S. President Donald Trump has remained silent on the contest despite frequently endorsing other right-wing candidates in the region.

Both Fujimori and Sanchez campaigned on promises to address rising crime, which has become the top priority for Peruvian citizens. This urgency follows a decade in which homicide rates have doubled and extortion cases have soared.

A Decade of Instability

The upcoming election will determine Peru's 10th president in a ten-year span. The country has experienced profound political tumult, with nine presidents exiting power over the last decade.

Critics and some voters attribute this instability in part to Keiko Fujimori. This is the fourth consecutive runoff for Fujimori, who narrowly lost elections in 2011, 2016, and 2021. She has been accused of being a "bad loser," specifically for refusing to acknowledge her 2016 loss for several months and making unfounded claims of electoral fraud following the 2021 vote.

Furthermore, Fujimori is blamed by some for using her Popular Force party—the largest in the last two congressional terms—to destabilize multiple governments and block investigations into organized crime and corruption.