Peru runoff tightens as Sánchez gains ground on Fujimori

Roberto Sánchez has cut sharply into Keiko Fujimori’s lead, pushing Peru’s runoff into a statistical dead heat just two days before voters head to the polls on June 7. An Ipsos survey released Thursday showed Sánchez at 43.8 percent, a late rise that reflects how quickly the race has shifted as both campaigns scramble for the voters still not locked in.

That movement matters because Sánchez has begun to sound less confrontational and more inclusive, broadening his appeal after running as the standard-bearer of the left linked to Pedro Castillo. The campaign now turns on voters who backed neither contender in the first round, along with undecided and blank-ballot voters who remain the most fluid bloc in the country. Peru’s final debate on June 1, dominated by crime, extortion, corruption and the so-called political mafia, reinforced how public safety has overtaken ideology as the defining issue in the closing stretch.

The runoff was formally set on May 17 after a first round on April 12 that featured 35 presidential candidates and took more than a month to certify because of ballot-delivery delays and disputed tally sheets. Fujimori won about 17.17 percent of valid votes in that round, while Sánchez took about 12.03 percent and finished just ahead of Rafael López Aliaga by roughly 21,000 votes. Peru has 27.3 million eligible voters, and the winner will be sworn in on July 28.

The narrowness of the race also reflects how little room either candidate has to claim a sweeping mandate. Peru has cycled through eight presidents since 2016, including several impeachments, leaving voters deeply wary of instability and persistent corruption. Fujimori, who is seeking the presidency for a fourth time, has tried to recast herself as a tougher institutional defender, leaning on Alberto Fujimori’s legacy and her pledge to confront extortion and homicide. Sánchez, by contrast, has benefited from endorsements from former rivals and from his image as the candidate of a broader left-leaning alliance.

For Peru, the runoff is about more than a partisan contest. A Fujimori victory would signal a return to a more establishment-friendly path, while a Sánchez win would keep the country aligned with the anti-establishment wave that has swept much of Latin America. Either outcome will shape investor confidence, especially in mining, and frame Peru’s relations with Washington at a moment when economic frustration and political distrust are still driving the vote.