LIMA, Peru (AP) 鈥� The winner of Peru鈥檚 presidential runoff election was not yet known hours after polls closed Sunday as electoral authorities slowly tallied votes cast for the 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 S谩nchez with 58% of ballots tallied in a contest overshadowed by people鈥檚 The outcome, expected to be tight, may not be known for days.
The figures showed Fujimori received 5.96 million votes, or 52.6%, while S谩nchez earned 5.36 million votes, or 47.4%.
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.
, daughter of a disgraced former president, and S谩nchez, an ally of an imprisoned ex-president, were on the runoff鈥檚 ballot after beating 33 other candidates in the vote in April, but neither earned even 20% of support. took more than a month to declare them winners of that contest.
Crime was the top concern for voters
Crime, particularly extortion, remained the overarching concern for voters. A 2025 national survey carried out by the state鈥檚 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 .
But the candidates’ crime-fighting 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 S谩nchez 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 , in the 1990s. She became Peru’s first lady in 1994 after her parents鈥� separation.
S谩nchez is one of the closest allies of , whom many perceive as corrupt and chaotic. Castillo鈥檚 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,
鈥淔ive years ago, I was disappointed by Castillo with his corruption, and … Roberto S谩nchez is the same,” Quiquia, 44, said. She added that she believes 鈥淔ujimori hasn鈥檛 done anything either鈥� 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.
Proposals include prison labor and a police purge
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 鈥渞epay society鈥� should she win.
In the only debate before the runoff, Fujimori defended her father鈥檚 government and promised to defeat crime just as he defeated the Shining Path, a violent extremist group.
S谩nchez, 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 , told debate viewers that he would be open to 鈥渁ll options to generate jobs and progress鈥� but also emphasized his support for Chinese investments.
S谩nchez 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 Ram铆rez, 41, said she was undecided until she was in line at the voting center. After talking with friends who 鈥渃onvinced me,鈥� she said she chose S谩nchez.
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 鈥渙bserve and ensure that there is transparency here.鈥�
The runoff’s winner will be sworn in to a five-year term on July 28.
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Garcia Cano reported from Mexico City.
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