LIMA, Peru (AP) — The winner of Peru’s presidential runoff election was still not known hours after polls closed Sunday as electoral authorities slowly tallied votes cast for the country’s ninth head of state in 10 years.
Figures released by electoral authorities showed conservative politician Keiko Fujimori with a modest lead over nationalist congressman Roberto Sánchez with 50% of ballots tallied in a contest overshadowed by people’s concerns about
surging crime. The outcome, expected to be tight, may not be known for days.
The figures showed Fujimori received 5.18 million votes, or 52.7%, while Sánchez earned 4.65 million votes, or 47.3%.
Unlike the first-round vote, no major incidents delayed the opening or closure of voting centers. In the capital, however, voter turnout throughout Sunday appeared lower than in the previous contest, with practically no lines in many voting centers, despite voting being mandatory.
Fujimori, daughter of a disgraced former president, and Sánchez, an ally of an imprisoned ex-president, were on the runoff’s ballot after beating 33 other candidates in the vote in April, but neither earned even 20% of support. Electoral authorities took more than a month to declare them winners of that contest.
Surging crime, particularly extortion, remains the overarching concern for voters. A 2025 national survey carried out by the state’s National Institute of Statistics and Informatics found that 84% of respondents in urban areas feared becoming victims of a crime in the following 12 months.
Experts attribute the increasing power of organized crime in Peru to the profits that decades-old criminal groups are earning from illegal gold mining in the Andes and the Amazon.
But the candidates' proposals were not enough to make inroads with voters, many of whom associate each aspiring president with controversial Peruvian politicians.
Official results from April's election showed Fujimori received 17% of the vote and Sánchez got 12%. More than six weeks later, a nationwide poll conducted by Ipsos found that similar shares of voters were supporting the candidates, with about 3 in 10 saying they were undecided.
Fujimori is linked to the authoritarian and corrupt legacy of the government of her late father, Alberto Fujimori, in the 1990s. She became Peru's first lady in 1994 after her parents’ separation.
Sánchez is one of the closest allies of jailed former President Pedro Castillo, whom many perceive as corrupt and chaotic. Castillo’s 16-month term saw more than 70 Cabinet changes.
Food vendor Magali Quiquia said she cast a blank ballot because she did not find either candidate convincing,
“Five years ago, I was disappointed by Castillo with his corruption, and ... Roberto Sánchez is the same," Quiquia, 44, said. She added that she believes “Fujimori hasn’t done anything either” despite her party having multiple seats in Congress.
Voting is mandatory for Peruvians aged 18 to 70. Failure to do so results in a fine of up to $32.
More than 27 million people are registered. Of those, about 1.2 million were expected to cast ballots from abroad, mainly in the United States and Argentina.
For most of her fourth presidential campaign, Fujimori promised to crack down on crime. Her proposals included implementing technology to track extortion, militarizing borders and increasing the presence of police and military personnel in high-risk areas. Fujimori, 51, also said that prisoners will be required to work and “repay society” should she win.
In the only debate before the runoff, Fujimori defended her father’s government and promised to defeat crime just as he defeated the Shining Path, a violent extremist group.
Sánchez, a former minister now popular with rural voters, pledged to combat corruption within the police force and promote reforms that would enable the military to support security efforts.
The 57-year-old, who wears a wide-brimmed peasant hat gifted by Castillo, told debate viewers that he would be open to “all options to generate jobs and progress” but also emphasized his support for Chinese investments.
Sánchez tried to ease the concerns his candidacy is generating among investors, saying he will not nationalize any assets of transnational companies that extract minerals or gas from Peru.
Lima resident Heidi Ramírez, 41, said she was undecided until she was in line at the voting center. After talking with friends who “convinced me,” she said she chose Sánchez.
The United States ambassador to Peru, Bernie Navarro, stopped by a voting center in Lima on Sunday. Upon leaving, he told the television station Latina his visit was to “observe and ensure that there is transparency here.”
Navarro added that the U.S. "wants to work with any candidate who is elected.”
Sunday's winner will be sworn in next month.
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Garcia Cano reported from Mexico City.
