Fujimori declared winner of Peru’s presidential election

With 100% of the ballots counted, Peru’s highest electoral authority declared a narrow victory for far-right candidate Keiko Fujimori of Fuerza Popular over leftist Roberto Sánchez of Juntos Por el Perú, the political heir to former President Pedro Castillo, who is currently in prison for attempting to convene a Constituent Assembly.

According to the National Office of Electoral Processes (ONPE), Fujimori secured victory with 50.135%, compared to Sánchez’s 49.865%. This means that Fujimori received 9,223,396 votes, compared to Sánchez’s 9,173,755. In other words, the margin was less than 50,000 votes – one of the narrowest margins in the country’s modern history.

In this regard, Fujimori said on X: “Now that the electoral process has concluded and the results have been announced by the JNE, I accept with deep gratitude the trust that millions of Peruvians have placed in me. A new phase is beginning. We approach it with responsibility, humility, and a deep sense of duty. Every day of this transition process is an opportunity to listen, engage in dialogue, and be prepared for the start of the new administration.”

Following a highly polarizing election campaign, the vote count stretched out over several weeks after the June 7 runoff election, due to the narrow margin between the two candidates. As the first results from urban areas came in, Fujimori took a significant lead, which rapidly declined as votes from rural areas (the historically most impoverished part of the country) came in in favor of Sánchez.

For much of the count, Sánchez led Fujimori by a few thousand votes, but Fujimori managed to regain the lead each time votes from abroad arrived. This, combined with several disputed polling stations in Lima, ultimately gave her a decisive advantage and, in the end, the victory.