Today, Peruvians will elect their ninth president in 10 years — France24
On Sunday, April 12, Peruvian voters went to the polls to elect the country’s ninth president in the last decade.
This was reported by France24.
A society exhausted by rising crime and political instability is likely to support the conservative agenda that is gaining popularity across Latin America.
About 27 million citizens are expected to participate in the massive vote. The country’s political landscape is extremely fragmented, as 35 candidates with radically different backgrounds are vying for the highest office.
Among the contenders for power are an influential media mogul, the daughter of a former autocrat, and a former mayor with radical rhetoric who does not shy away from comparing himself to a cartoon character.
Despite the wide choice, voters are deeply disillusioned by the rampant corruption in the upper echelons of power.
According to opinion polls, none of the candidates is currently capable of garnering more than 15% of the vote.
This is significantly less than the 50% threshold required to win in the first round, so a runoff election in June 2026 appears virtually inevitable.
Analysts at Ipsos note that conservative forces dominate the election race. Among the top five frontrunners, there is only one representative of the left wing—former Minister of Trade and Tourism Roberto Sánchez.
The frontrunner is right-wing populist Keiko Fujimori, who promises radical changes in the country.
She has assured that she will “restore order” within the first 100 days of her presidency and form an alliance with conservative leaders in neighboring countries.
“She will form a united front with the recently elected conservative leaders of Argentina, Chile, Ecuador, and Bolivia,” note France24 analysts.
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