Keiko Fujimori Edges Closer to Peru's Presidency with Narrow Lead

Keiko Fujimori is on the brink of securing the presidency in Peru, holding a slim lead of 33,432 votes over her opponent Roberto Sánchez Palomino. This update comes from EFE agency's reporting, with 99% of the ballots counted in the presidential runoff held on June 7.

The National Office of Electoral Processes (ONPE) reports that the candidate from the Popular Force party has garnered 50.097% of the valid votes, compared to Sánchez's 49.903%. This translates to approximately 9,136,432 votes for Fujimori versus 9,100,083 for Sánchez.

During the vote counting process, the lead between the two fluctuated significantly. In earlier counts at 99.082% and 99.148% of processed votes, Fujimori's lead had exceeded 36,000 votes, according to real-time data from ONPE.

However, the final outcome remains pending. The outcome could still be influenced by the resolution of contested and challenged ballots by the Special Electoral Juries (JEE), potentially affecting the final margin before the official announcement.

If confirmed as the winner, this would mark Fujimori's first presidential victory after unsuccessful bids in 2011, 2016, and 2021. Notably, in 2021, she narrowly lost to Pedro Castillo by less than 44,000 votes in an election she unsuccessfully challenged before the National Jury of Elections (JNE).

This campaign is also notable for being Fujimori's first without the direct political influence of her father, former President Alberto Fujimori, who passed away in September 2024. Alberto Fujimori had been serving a sentence for crimes against humanity and corruption before being released on humanitarian grounds.

Roberto Sánchez Palomino, her opponent in this runoff, has led the Juntos por el Perú party since October 2017. He has been criticized by conservative factions for his perceived alignment with the legacy of leftist former President Pedro Castillo, who was ousted and jailed in December 2022 after attempting to dissolve Congress.

Fujimori advanced to the second round after securing 17.18% of the votes in the first round on April 13, in an election featuring 35 presidential candidates where none surpassed 18% of the vote.

Sánchez finished second with 12.026%, narrowly edging out Rafael López Aliaga of Popular Renewal by just 20,879 votes. López Aliaga claimed fraud without presenting concrete evidence, thus failing to make it to the runoff.

The JNE officially declared Fujimori and Sánchez as the candidates for the second round on May 18, 2026, as reported by CNN en Español.

The resolution of the contested ballots will ultimately determine whether Fujimori can finally surpass the threshold that has eluded her in three previous elections and become Peru's first female president.