Peru election jury briefly lists Fujimori as president-elect before retracting

Peru's National Elections Jury (JNE) sparked confusion Thursday when its official portal briefly listed Keiko Fujimori as the president-elect. The erroneous publication appeared on the agency's website in the section for "Proclaimed Authorities" while the country awaited the definitive results of the presidential runoff election.

The listing identified Fujimori as head of state, with Luis Fernando Galarreta and Miguel Ángel Torres as her vice presidential running mates under the Fuerza Popular party. The system even offered the option to download a proclamation document. However, the information vanished from the portal minutes later, leaving users without an immediate explanation.

This incident occurred amidst a highly contested vote count with a razor-thin margin between Fujimori and rival Roberto Sánchez. The JNE later issued a statement confirming that no general proclamation for the presidential election had been issued. They explained that the process requires completing reviews of contested ballots, any potential nullity requests, and the final consolidation of national tallies by the ONPE.

The electoral body further clarified that images and videos circulating on social media were from previous elections, specifically the 2021 general elections and the first round of the 2026 elections, not the current runoff. However, the JNE did not explain why the incorrect information appeared on its official search engine before being retracted.

Political figures reacted to the JNE's error, with Congresswoman Ruth Luque expressing concern. She stated that such incidents, even if corrected, damage public confidence in an institution that must demonstrate neutrality and impartiality. Luque emphasized the JNE's duty to safeguard the popular will.

“

The JNE is called to act with absolute neutrality and safeguard the popular will. Facts like this, even if they were corrected or withdrawn later, affect citizen confidence in an institution that has the duty to demonstrate independence and maintain impartial conduct.