Peru election: Sánchez leads Fujimori by 20,000 votes with 97% counted

Peru's presidential election remains too close to call as the vote count nears completion, with the margin between leftist candidate Roberto Sánchez and right-wing contender Keiko Fujimori shrinking to just 20,000 votes. With 97.36% of ballots tallied, Sánchez leads by a razor-thin 0.11 percentage points.

Sánchez, representing the Juntos por el Perú party, has secured 50.05% of the vote, totaling 8,987,619 ballots. Fujimori, the candidate for Fuerza Popular, trails with 49.95%, or 8,977,814 votes, according to the latest report from the National Office of Electoral Processes (ONPE).

“

have much hope

The tight race means the final result depends on votes cast abroad and contested ballots that have been sent to special electoral juries. Currently, 1,077 vote tallies are pending, many from overseas, with more expected to arrive. Additionally, 1,593 tallies have been sent to juries for review.

Sánchez's party has expressed confidence, citing projections from private pollsters that indicated his victory. They announced plans to "defend the popular vote." Fujimori, meanwhile, remains hopeful about the overseas votes and the disputed ballots, urging prudence as the count concludes. The National Jury of Elections (JNE) is processing the observed tallies, with some awaiting public hearings for recounting.

“

to defend the popular vote