Peru's eighth president in a decade to be picked in a Fujimori–Sánchez runoff
Months after Congress ousted Boluarte, a fragmented 35-candidate field narrows to far-right Keiko Fujimori versus the left's Roberto Sánchez
Summary
Peru held the first round of its general election on 12–13 April 2026 and a runoff on 7 June (Who Decides). Keiko Fujimori (Fuerza Popular) finished first with 17.19%; Roberto Sánchez (Juntos por el Perú) took second on 12.03%, edging far-right businessman Rafael López Aliaga. The field ran to 35 candidates, a measure of Peru's party fragmentation (What Broke). The vote follows Congress's near-unanimous October 2025 removal of President Dina Boluarte — 122–0 — after a crime wave; conservative congress head José Jerí became Peru's eighth president in ten years, serving until the 28 July 2026 handover. The JNE rejected, 3–2, a bid to annul the first round, keeping the runoff on schedule. Security and organised crime dominated the campaign.
By the numbers
- 8 — presidents Peru has had in roughly ten years.
- 122–0 — congressional vote that ousted Boluarte in October 2025.
- 17.19% vs 12.03% — Fujimori's and Sánchez's first-round shares.
- 35 — candidates in the first round.
- 28 Jul 2026 — date the new president takes office.
Why it matters
Chronic presidential turnover has hollowed Peru's executive and left Congress as the dominant power. The runoff sets whether a Fujimori restoration entrenches that bloc or a left victory reopens institutional conflict — in a country gripped by extortion and homicide.
What to watch
- Final certification of the 7 June result and any annulment challenges.
- The 28 July handover from Jerí and the new president's congressional base.
- Whether the winner can govern a fragmented Congress or faces early removal threats.