Roberto Sanchez edges ahead in Peru’s tight presidential runoff

Left-wing candidate Roberto Sanchez took the lead in Peru’s presidential runoff on Monday, overtaking conservative Keiko Fujimori for the first time since vote counting began.

With 94 percent of voting centers reporting and nearly 18 million ballots cast, the contest remained too close to call.

Sanchez held a lead of fewer than 4,300 votes over Fujimori, who has failed three previous attempts to win the presidency.

Fujimori is the daughter of former president Alberto Fujimori, who died after serving prison time for human rights abuses.

Many Peruvian voters had hoped the election would help end years of political turmoil that have seen multiple presidents jailed, removed from office or impeached.

Whoever wins will become Peru’s ninth president in a decade.

The country remains sharply divided between the densely populated coast and the more rural, Indigenous south.

Sanchez said Monday he was “optimistic” about the result but stressed the need to wait until all votes had been counted.

Fujimori said the final outcome could take days to determine.

“As of now there is no winner. There will be long days ahead,” she said late Sunday.

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