Peru holds its presidential election Sunday with a record 35 candidates competing for the presidency, as voters seek to break a cycle of instability that has produced nine presidents in the past decade. About 27 million eligible voters will choose from the longest ballot in the country's history, measuring nearly half a meter.
Keiko Fujimori, daughter of late autocratic president Alberto Fujimori, leads opinion polls with 15% support in her fourth presidential bid. The 50-year-old rightwinger previously reached runoffs in 2021, 2016, and 2011, losing by narrow margins each time.
Comedian Carlos Álvarez follows with 8% support, while ultra-conservative former Lima mayor Rafael López Aliaga and media mogul Ricardo Belmont each poll at 7% and 6% respectively. No candidate polls above 15%, making a June 7 runoff virtually certain.
This is one of the most unpredictable elections on record. There could be surprises this Sunday because we don't know who will make it through to the second round.
Urpi Torrado, Polling Company Datum Internacional — The Guardian
Crime dominates voter concerns amid record homicide and extortion rates, with political corruption ranking as the second major issue. Four former presidents currently sit in jail, most linked to bribery cases involving Brazilian construction company Odebrecht.
The Guardian frames Peru's election as symptomatic of broader democratic fragility in Latin America, emphasizing the cycle of instability and corruption while maintaining analytical distance. Their coverage focuses on institutional breakdown rather than ideological positioning, reflecting Britain's diplomatic interest in regional stability.