At the end of a vote marked by logistical dysfunctions, radical left candidate Roberto Sanchez positioned himself in second place in the presidential election in Peru on Wednesday after the counting of 91% of the ballots. If the numbers are confirmed, he will face conservative Keiko Fujimori in the second round in June.

Published on: 04/16/2026 - 01:46 Modified on: 04/16/2026 - 08:34

The duo of adversaries in the second round of the Peruvian presidential election are becoming clearer, two days after the end of the vote. The radical left candidate, Roberto Sanchez, rose to second place on Wednesday April 15 in the partial results and is shaping up to face conservative Keiko Fujimori in the second round.

In a tense climate marked by logistical malfunctions during Sunday's vote and accusations of fraud, the two favorites called for responsibility and respect for the results.

With 91% of the ballots counted, the gap with the ultraconservative Rafael Lopez Aliaga, long second, remained tight in a count that is still subject to change. Keiko Fujimori, 50, daughter of former autocratic president Alberto Fujimori, in power in the 1990s, came in first with 17% ahead of Sanchez (12%) and Lopez Aliaga (11.8%).

The counting, initially dominated by the results from Lima, stronghold of Rafael Lopez Aliaga, gradually revealed the progress of Roberto Sanchez, whose electoral base is concentrated in the rural areas of the southern Andean.

Read alsoPeru: the favorites of a presidential election supposed to bring the country out of instability

“We have to accept these results,” Roberto Sanchez told reporters on Wednesday. “If there are discrepancies or suspicions, they must be supported by solid evidence.”

On Tuesday, in an interview with Agence France-Presse (AFP), he called on "all democratic forces in Peru, as well as the international community, to ensure respect for the official results."

“Our commitment is to democracy, transparency and above all, order,” said Keiko Fujimori. “More than ever, we must demonstrate responsibility and political maturity. We cannot create more chaos.”

Malfunctions, but no fraud

Marked by delays in the delivery of electoral materials, the vote fueled criticism and accusations of fraud.

Rafael Lopez Aliaga, a Trump admirer nicknamed Porky, gathered hundreds of supporters in Lima on Tuesday evening and gave electoral authorities "24 hours" to cancel the vote, which he denounced as "fraud". “We want new elections,” chanted the crowd gathered in front of the buildings of the electoral authority (JNE).

These logistical problems prevented more than 50,000 voters from voting, forcing the authorities to extend the poll by a day.

Acknowledging "serious dysfunctions", the head of the European Union observation mission, Annalisa Corrado, nevertheless declared on Tuesday that she had noted "no objective element" of fraud.

The JNE filed a complaint against several officials of the National Office of Electoral Processes (ONPE) for violating the right to vote.

Sanchez, Castillo's heir

Roberto Sanchez, former minister of Pedro Castillo, asserts himself as the political heir of the ex-president sentenced in 2025 to 11 years in prison for rebellion after his attempt to dissolve Parliament. “He will be released by our government,” he assured AFP.

The leader of Juntos por el Peru says he wants to bring a "new Constitution" and establish a "plurinational state" in order to govern with indigenous peoples, like what Evo Morales did in Bolivia. “There is an immense desire for change” among excluded populations.

With his peasant hat worn during the campaign, he sought to associate his image with that of Castillo, a trade unionist and teacher turned president, now imprisoned.

Roberto Sanchez embodies "a rural vote (...), more anti-establishment, more to the left, more in demands and inclusion", explains to AFP the political scientist Jorge Aragon, who believes that he could constitute a more difficult opponent for Keiko Fujimori in the second round than Rafael Lopez Aliaga. If this is confirmed, “in a certain way, the 2021 election would be replayed”, during which the right-wing candidate failed against Pedro Castillo.

With AFP

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