Leftist candidate Roberto Sanchez has secured a spot in Peru’s presidential runoff election, according to results released Wednesday, just hours after he was indicted on campaign finance violation charges. With 99.94 percent of votes from April’s first round counted, Sanchez narrowly edged out far-right candidate Rafael Lopez Aliaga. He will now face conservative Keiko Fujimori in the June 7 runoff. Sanchez garnered 12 percent of the votes, while Lopez Aliaga received 11.9 percent, a difference of 18,799 votes. The national election commission’s website confirmed this margin surpasses the remaining uncounted ballots, securing Sanchez’s qualification. Fujimori led the first round with 17.1 percent in a country known for its political instability, having seen eight presidents in the last decade.
Earlier on Wednesday, Peru’s public prosecutor formally charged Sanchez with campaign finance violations, seeking a prison sentence exceeding five years. The indictment, detailed in a document released by local media and confirmed by the prosecutor’s office, alleges financial reporting inconsistencies within his political party from 2018 to 2020 during regional and municipal elections in which he participated. “Roberto Sanchez is alleged to be responsible for the crimes of making false statements in an administrative proceeding and falsifying information on contributions and income of political organizations,” the document stated. Prosecutors have requested a prison term of five years and four months for the candidate. The case was initially brought before the courts in January 2026, but the judiciary partially rejected it, instructing prosecutors to revise their formulation. A hearing scheduled for May 27 will determine if the case proceeds to trial or is dismissed. Sanchez is accused of receiving over $57,000 in undeclared contributions from party members for party activities.
Responding to the allegations on social media, Sanchez asserted, “There was never any fraud or misappropriation.” He further claimed, “For years they have tried to plant a lie in order to discredit me politically. The courts have already dismissed the accusations about an alleged personal use of the party’s financial resources.”
Meanwhile, former Lima mayor Lopez Aliaga has repeatedly asserted that the election was fraudulent and should be annulled, though he has presented no evidence to support these claims. The election itself faced operational challenges, including delays in delivering election materials in Lima, which necessitated the reopening of some polling stations the following day. Despite these issues, the European Union’s election observer mission deemed the election free and fair.
Source link
