Peruvians go to the polls hoping to break cycle of instability

Soaring crime and corruption top voter concerns in highly unpredictable election with record 35 candidates for president Peruvians go to the polls on Sunday hoping to break a cycle of instability that has produced nine presidents in a decade as well as surging violent crime , corruption scandals and overwhelming distrust in institutions and politicians. About 27 million people who are eligible to vote must choose between a record 35 presidential candidates as well as contenders for a bicameral congress – all from a ballot sheet measuring nearly half a metre – the longest in the country’s history. Continue reading…

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Soaring crime and corruption top voter concerns in highly unpredictable election with record 35 candidates for president Peruvians go to the polls on Sunday hoping to break a cycle of instability that has produced nine presidents in a decade as well as surging violent crime , corruption scandals and overwhelming distrust in institutions and politicians. About 27 million people who are eligible to vote must choose between a record 35 presidential candidates as well as contenders for a bicameral congress – all from a ballot sheet measuring nearly half a metre – the longest in the country’s history. Continue reading…

Soaring crime and corruption top voter concerns in highly unpredictable election with 35 candidates for president

Peruvians go to the polls on Sunday hoping to break a cycle of instability that has produced nine presidents in a decade as well as surging violent crime, corruption scandals and overwhelming distrust in institutions and politicians.

About 27 million people who are eligible to vote must choose between a record 35 presidential candidates as well as contenders for the bicameral congress – all from a ballot sheet measuring nearly half a metre, the longest in the country’s history.

The fight against crime tops voter concerns amid record homicide and extortion rates but political corruption comes a close second. Four former presidents are in jail, most of them linked to bribery cases involving the Brazilian construction company Odebrecht.

Keiko Fujimori, a three-time presidential candidate and the daughter of the late president Alberto Fujimori, holds a narrow lead in opinion polls. She is closely followed by the comedian Carlos Álvarez and two former mayors of Lima, the ultra-conservative Rafael López Aliaga and the media mogul Ricardo Belmont.

None of the candidates is polling above 15%, making a runoff on 7 June almost certain, according to Urpi Torrado, of the polling company Datum Internacional.

“This is one of the most unpredictable elections on record,” said Torrado. “There could be surprises this Sunday because we don’t know who will make it through to the second round.”

Fujimori, 50, is making her fourth bid for the presidency, having reached the runoff in the last three elections (2021, 2016 and 2011) and losing by extremely narrow margins each time. The rightwinger served as first lady in the autocratic 1990s government of her late father, who was convicted over corruption and human rights abuses and spent 16 years in prison.

Ricardo Belmont, who was Lima’s mayor from 1990 to 1995, has risen in most opinion polls, winning the younger vote with his upbeat messaging and the slogan “hugs not bullets”, borrowed from the former Mexican leader Andrés Manuel López Obrador.

Gonzalo Banda, a Peruvian political analyst and doctoral researcher at University College of London’s Institute of the Americas, called Belmont an “anti-establishment candidate catching votes from the right, the left and the centre”. The 80-year-old is also known for making xenophobic and sexist remarks.

López Aliaga, who was Lima’s mayor until a few months ago, has

— On April 12, Peruvians will cast their votes in a pivotal presidential election, hoping to end a decade-long cycle of political instability buoyed by corruption scandals and increasing crime rates. With around 27 million eligible voters, a new president and a reinstated bicameral congress are on the line.

In Lima’s bustling suburbs, streets are decorated with campaign posters as a record 35 candidates vie for attention. Opinion polls show a narrow lead for Keiko Fujimori, but not one candidate surpasses 15% in support, suggesting a likely runoff in June. Three contenders trail Fujimori closely, hinting at an unpredictable outcome.

The elections come after years of political turmoil with eight presidents cycling through office since 2018, mainly due to corruption. Recent surges in crime, particularly affecting transport workers and small businesses, have become a leading voter concern, pushing the political discourse to favor tough, populist approaches.