Peru general election: Fujimori ahead, runoff likely

Voters in Peru head to the polls on Sunday to elect a new president and members of Congress.

Sunday’s election came amid a rise in violent crime and corruption, and there was currently no clear preferred candidate among disaffected voters.

Keiko Fujimori, a conservative former congressman and daughter of the late powerful President Alberto Fujimori, is likely to face fellow conservative Rafael “Porky” López Aliaga.

Although Fujimori had a slight lead on Monday morning, it fell far short of the more than 50% needed to win outright, making it highly likely that there would be a runoff in June.

A woman casts her vote during the presidential election at a polling station in Lima on April 12, 2026
Voting took place amid high levels of organized crime and political instability.Image: Luis Robayo/AFP

some of them are in dispute

There were 35 names on the ballot, highlighting disaffected voters who have had to contend with nine presidents over the past 10 years.

Fujimori has vowed to crack down on crime but has also defended laws that experts say make it difficult to prosecute criminals.

Sunday was his fourth bid for the post of President.

Aliaga, a conservative former mayor of the Peruvian capital Lima, is also in the news and has proposed building prisons in the Amazon region to protect judges from criminal gangs and allowing members of the judiciary to hide their identities.

He has also stressed on expelling the foreigners living illegally in the country.

Popular comedian Carlos Alvarez is also campaigning on a tough anti-crime platform.

Edited by: Jennifer Cimino Gonzalez

Lima bus drivers fear for their safety due to rising crime in Peru

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