Keiko Fujimori leads Peru's presidential race after official count concludes


Conservative presidential candidate Keiko Fujimori addresses the media as the presidential count enters a third day as left-wing candidate Roberto Sanchez has taken a slim lead against Fujimori, in Lima, Peru, June 9, 2026. REUTERS/Alessandro Cinque

LIMA, ⁠June 29 (Reuters) - Keiko Fujimori leads the final count in Peru's presidential runoff after ⁠the country's ONPE electoral authority finished tallying 100% of the vote on ‌Monday after weeks of reviewing contested ballots.

The final tally shows the conservative Fujimori with a lead of 50.135%, or 9,223,396 votes, to leftist Roberto Sanchez's 49.865%, or 9,173,755 votes.

Fujimori welcomed the conclusion of the drawn-out vote count, ​and in a post on social media said she would "await ⁠the national electoral jury's announcement with ⁠great humility, prudence, and responsibility."

"We are getting closer and closer to embarking on a path ⁠of ‌order and hope for all Peruvians," Fujimori said on X.

Fujimori, the daughter of late former President Alberto Fujimori who served a 16-year prison sentence for human rights ⁠abuses, had already achieved an unbeatable lead in the race ​last week after authorities spent ‌weeks reviewing contested ballots from the June 7 runoff.

Sanchez's rhetoric disputing the results ⁠has also grown, ​with the leftist senator saying he will not recognize a Fujimori government and making accusations, without providing evidence, of electoral fraud in favor of Fujimori.

Sanchez has led marches in Lima to "defend the vote" and ⁠has called on his followers to hold more protests ​in the coming days, which could prolong the country's political crisis that's led to a revolving door of presidents over the last decade. Fujimori, who is set to assume power on ⁠July 28, will be the country's 10th president since 2016.

Peru's National Electoral Jury (JNE) is scheduled to officially announce a winner on July 3 and Sanchez has said he will file a legal appeal in the coming days to prevent the official proclamation.

Fujimori, 51, said last week ​that she aims to unite a country "divided in two" and ⁠pledged to reduce crime and address the deep inequality prevalent throughout the Andean nation.

Fujimori's victory comes ​after three failed attempts at the presidency, cementing Latin ‌America's rightward shift and establishing the return of ​one of Peru's most dominant and polarizing political dynasties of the last three decades.

(Reporting by Marco Aquino and Alexander Villegas; Editing by Kylie Madry and Edward Tobin)

Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel for breaking news alerts and key updates!

Others Also Read