The ninth presidential election in 10 years is being held in Peru on Sunday.
Democratic Socialist candidate Roberto Sanchez faces neoliberal Keiko Fujimori in a tight race focused on political instability and rising crime.
Approximately 27 million voters are eligible to vote for the five-year presidential term.
Who are the candidates?
In the first round of elections featuring 35 presidential candidates, Fujimori advanced with only 17% of the vote, while Sánchez received about 12%.
Fujimori is the daughter of former autocratic President Alberto Fujimori. In her fourth presidential bid, she is promising a tough security stance that includes tough prisons and military deployments.
Sanchez, a congressman and former minister backed by former President Pedro Castillo, has promised to tackle corruption as well as maintain economic stability.
On Friday, a judge ruled that Sanchez could stand trial over alleged campaign finance violations. Prosecutors have charged the politician, alleging discrepancies in his party’s financial reports.
He has been accused of receiving thousands of dollars in undisclosed contributions. Sanchez has denied the allegations.
Who was the President of Peru in the last decade?
The vote comes after years of political turmoil in Peru, which has seen eight presidents since 2016.
- Pedro Pablo Kuczynski (July 2016 – March 2018)
- Martin Vizcarra (March 2018 – November 2020)
- Manuel Merino (November 10, 2020 – November 15, 2020)
- Francisco Sagasti (November 2020 – July 2021)
- Pedro Castillo (July 2021 – December 2022)
- Dina Boluaert (December 2022 – October 2025)
- Jose Jerry (October 2025 – February 2026)
- José María Balcazar (February 2026 – present)
Neither candidate has a legislative majority, raising the possibility of continued instability.
The winner will succeed interim President Balcazar on July 28.
Edited by: Dmytro Lyubenko
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