Roberto Sanchez, left-wing presidential candidate for Peru, in Lima on April 15, 2026. CONNIE FRANCE / AFP
Left-wing candidate Roberto Sanchez climbed to second place in Peru's presidential election on Wednesday, April 15, positioning himself as a surprise rival to conservative frontrunner Keiko Fujimori in a June runoff. With over 91% of ballots tallied, the daughter of divisive former president Alberto Fujimori, herself a perennial presidential hopeful, garnered nearly 17% of the vote, followed by Sanchez with 12%.
Sanchez overtook ultraconservative former Lima mayor Rafael Lopez Aliaga, who had been tipped to face Fujimori in an all-right duel but was trailing in third with 11.8%. But the tally could still change. Lopez Aliaga cried foul and called for the vote to be annulled, but Fujimori and Sanchez urged respect for the results.
Sunday's election ran into Monday in parts of the capital Lima because of delays in the delivery of ballots and other materials. The European Union's election observer mission gave the election a clean bill of health, despite the logistical setbacks. Sanchez, the political heir of jailed ex-leader Pedro Castillo, dubbed Peru's "first poor president," gained ground as the count proceeded, powered by support from rural areas and southern Andean regions.
