Peru Election: Fujimori's Lead Shrinks to 0.6% as 93% of Votes Counted

Peru's presidential election is heading towards a nail-biting finish as right-wing candidate Keiko Fujimori's lead over left-wing contender Roberto Sánchez narrows. With 93% of the ballots tallied by the National Office of Electoral Processes (ONPE), Fujimori holds a razor-thin 0.6% advantage. This translates to a difference of roughly 70,000 votes among the 27 million eligible voters.

The tight race has led some polling firms to project a victory for Sánchez by a slim half-point margin, particularly due to support from Andean and rural areas. This close contest could result in a protracted announcement of the final election results. A similar scenario unfolded in the first round, where definitive results confirming the runoff between Fujimori and Sánchez were not released until May 17, over a month after the initial vote on April 12.

In that first round, Fujimori, leading Fuerza Popular, secured 17% of the vote, while Sánchez of Juntos por Perú came in second with 12%. The current close count in the second round suggests that the final outcome remains uncertain, with both candidates vying for every remaining vote.