Fujimori leads Sánchez by 5 points in Peru presidential election runoff with 19% of votes counted

Right-wing candidate Keiko Fujimori is narrowly leading leftist contender Roberto Sánchez in Peru's presidential election runoff, holding a 5.08 percentage point advantage with 19% of votes officially counted.

As of Sunday evening, Fujimori, the political heir of former President Alberto Fujimori, had garnered 52.54% of the valid votes, while Sánchez trailed with 47.46%. This translates to 1,963,393 votes for Fujimori and 1,773,597 for Sánchez, according to the National Office of Electoral Processes (ONPE).

The initial results reflect votes cast primarily in Lima and other major cities, areas where Fujimori's Popular Force party typically enjoys stronger support. Conversely, Sánchez tends to perform better in rural regions, which are usually among the last to have their ballots counted. This pattern suggests the final outcome could remain highly competitive.

Exit polls released earlier indicated a close contest, mirroring previous elections where Fujimori narrowly missed the presidency. Ipsos reported Fujimori with 50.7% and Sánchez with 49.3%, while Datum showed Fujimori at 50.53% and Sánchez at 49.47%. Both polls have a margin of error of 3%, making a definitive prediction at this stage impossible.

Over 27.3 million Peruvians were eligible to vote in this election, which follows a decade of significant political instability that has seen eight presidents in ten years due to parliamentary dismissals. The winner will govern Peru for the next five years, from 2026 to 2031.