Peru election neck-and-neck: Fujimori, Sánchez tied in final week

Peru's presidential runoff election remains too close to call, with a new poll revealing a statistical tie between right-wing candidate Keiko Fujimori and leftist Roberto Sánchez. Just one week before the June 7 vote, Fujimori holds a slim lead with 38% of voter preferences, while Sánchez trails at 35%, according to an Ipsos survey published by Perú 21.

Guillermo Loli, director of opinion studies at Ipsos, noted that the difference is within the margin of error, indicating a highly competitive race. The survey also revealed that 12% of voters intend to cast blank or null ballots, and another 15% remain undecided. In Peru, voting is mandatory.

Fujimori, representing the Fuerza Popular party, secured 17% of the vote in the first round, while Sánchez of Juntos por el Perú garnered 12%. This election follows a highly fragmented first round on April 11, marked by a record 35 presidential candidates, logistical issues, and fraud allegations. The campaign for the runoff is expected to be as polarized as the 2021 election, which saw Fujimori lose to Pedro Castillo.

This marks Fujimori's fourth presidential bid, while Sánchez, a congressman and former minister, is running for the first time. Both candidates are vying for power in a country plagued by severe political instability, having seen eight presidents since 2016, many removed by Congress or resigning amid corruption accusations. Peru is also grappling with a significant security crisis fueled by the rise of organized crime.