Candidate Roberto Sánchez Reiterates Peru Has No Border Differences with Chile

Peruvian presidential candidate Roberto Sánchez reiterated on Sunday that Peru has no pending border disputes with Chile. Sánchez, representing the left-wing Juntos por el Perú party, stated that his country envisions a relationship of good neighborliness and maintains significant historical ties with its southern neighbor.

"Chile is a trading partner and we have a very important historical relationship. Between our borders, there is no pending issue," Sánchez said after casting his vote in Lima. He was responding to a Chilean media outlet's question regarding bilateral relations.

The candidate, who is competing in the second round of presidential elections against Keiko Fujimori, explicitly rejected the stance of ultranationalist leader Antauro Humala. Humala had expressed a desire to go to war with Chile to reclaim the regions of Arica and Tarapacá, which Peru lost during the War of the Pacific in the 19th century.

"All that remains is to strengthen our multilateralism, our always positive historical relations with Chile," Sánchez added. Throughout the campaign for the runoff election, Sánchez has sought to distance himself from Humala, whose presence had been a significant point of criticism against his candidacy. Humala, a retired military officer and leader of the ethno-nationalist current promoting Andean supremacy, spent 17 years in prison for the 'Andahuaylazo' military uprising. Sánchez's party included some members of Humala's party on its lists, although Humala's party was excluded from participating in the elections.