Supporters of presidential candidate Sánchez protest vote count in Peru

Hundreds of supporters of Peruvian leftist presidential candidate Roberto Sánchez marched through Lima on Friday, demanding transparency in the ongoing vote count of the second-round election. Sánchez, who is narrowly trailing right-wing rival Keiko Fujimori, alleges irregularities in the ballot tally.

The protest, framed by supporters as a "defense of the popular vote," occurred as Fujimori's lead widened to approximately 43,000 votes with 99.51% of ballots counted. Official figures from the National Office of Electoral Processes (ONPE) show Fujimori with 50.11% of the vote compared to Sánchez's 49.88%.

Protesters chanted "The vote is not for sale, the vote is defended!" and expressed defiance towards the electoral authorities' potential validation of the results. Yuri Guerra, a 52-year-old protester, stated, "The people have chosen Roberto Sánchez; we do not recognize Keiko Fujimori. The people will not respect the result that the electoral authorities validate."

Electoral officials must still review over 120,000 disputed ballots, a process that could take at least two weeks. Sánchez's party, Juntos por el Perú, has also raised concerns about the chain of custody for ballots cast by Peruvians living abroad, particularly in the United States and Argentina. These claims fuel suspicions of vote manipulation favoring Fujimori, accusations that the Peruvian Foreign Ministry has rejected.

Keiko Fujimori, daughter of former President Alberto Fujimori, defended the validity of votes from Peruvians living overseas. "It is important that Mr. Sánchez and his party understand that the votes of Peruvians from any city, region, or province, including those abroad, are valid and must be respected," she told reporters. The winner of this tight race will succeed interim President José María Balcázar and take office on July 28 for a five-year term.