Controversy Surrounds Peru’s Electoral Results
As the vote-counting process in Peru nears its conclusion, radical leftist lawmaker and presidential hopeful Roberto Sánchez declared on Tuesday that he will not acknowledge the anticipated victory of conservative former first lady Keiko Fujimori.
It’s been over three weeks since the tightly contested presidential run-off on June 7, yet final results remain elusive. This election has been plagued, much like the initial round, by the slow vote counting from the National Elections Authority.
As of Wednesday morning, 99.859% of the votes had been counted. Fujimori held a lead of 43,386 votes over Sánchez. Recently, her lead has expanded from what was once a strikingly narrow margin as the final tally, which includes votes from Peruvians living abroad, came in. Although authorities have yet to officially declare a winner, they indicated that with just 0.141 percent of votes remaining, it would be “mathematically impossible” for Sánchez to overcome the deficit.
Sánchez is representing the far-left coalition “Together for Peru.” He told reporters that he would refuse to recognize Fujimori’s government due to what he described as “serious disruptions” during the electoral process, raising concerns about possible fraud in the overseas voting. Changes made to foreign voting protocols by Peru’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, according to Sánchez, compromised transparency. To respond to Fujimori’s potential win, he has organized a rally for Saturday, June 27.
“In our view, this gross fraud condoned by ONPE continues because votes from the consulate remain to be counted,” Sánchez claimed.
“We urge social movements and democratic forces to restore democracy in Peru, preventing another five years of authoritarian rule, akin to what we see under Fujimori’s parliamentary governance. We encourage democratic resistance throughout the country,” he stated.
It’s worth noting that the day after the run-off, Sánchez had asserted he would accept the election results regardless of who won.
Recently, Together for Peru has tried to lodge a complaint with the election authorities aimed at invalidating a significant portion of the overseas votes. These votes have been pivotal for Fujimori as she gained her lead over Sánchez. Preliminary results showed Fujimori winning 63.2% of the foreign votes, with Sánchez trailing at 36.7%. The final tally suggested a margin of over 81,300 votes from abroad in Fujimori’s favor.
Subsequent reports indicated that a specially elected jury in Lima rejected Together for Peru’s request to contest the foreign votes since it was submitted 12 days beyond the legal deadline and lacked the necessary filing fee. The jury emphasized its concerns regarding the actions of representatives from the leftist coalition. Additional requests regarding ballots in the U.S., France, and Spain were similarly turned down.
Moreover, Sánchez mentioned that the impending rally would also demand the release of former President Pedro Castillo, who was ousted in 2022 after attempting to dissolve Congress. Castillo is currently serving an 11.5-year sentence.
This past Tuesday, ONPE released a statement indicating it was awaiting a resolution regarding disputed vote minutes, which could finally conclude the protracted counting process.
