Peruvians are heading to the polls on Sunday in a tight presidential runoff to choose the country's ninth president in a decade. The election pits conservative right-wing candidate Keiko Fujimori against leftist congressman Roberto Sánchez in a polarized replay of the country's last election in 2021.
Fujimori, the daughter of former autocratic president Alberto Fujimori, is making her fourth bid for the presidency after winning 17 percent of the vote in April's first round. Her opponent, Roberto Sánchez, a former trade and tourism minister, secured 12 percent of the vote, edging out ultra-conservative former Lima mayor Rafael López Aliaga. The first round of voting was marred by logistical problems and fraud allegations.
The runoff takes place against a backdrop of chronic political instability, corruption scandals, and voter apathy. With a surge in violence and rising crime, voters are tasked with choosing between a newly moderated left and a right-wing candidate representing a divisive legacy. The outcome puts the model of one of Latin America's most stable economies at stake.
As ballots opened on Sunday, exit polls offered little clarity on which candidate would win the bitterly contested race. Current indications suggest Keiko Fujimori appears to lead Roberto Sánchez by about one percentage point.