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Shadow of old dictatorship looms over Peru’s bitter presidential run-off

Peru’s duelling presidential hopefuls have made a final pitch to voters, capping a bruising and razor-tight race dominated by anger over rising crime and political…

By Samantha Johnson / June 5, 2026

Peru’s duelling presidential hopefuls have made a final pitch to voters, capping a bruising and razor-tight race dominated by anger over rising crime and political instability.

Conservative Keiko Fujimori and leftist Roberto Sanchez staged rival events in Lima on Thursday ahead of Sunday’s vote, with ardent flag-waving supporters arguing their “communist” or “dictator” opponents would bring the country to ruin.

“We cannot let them win with communism and terrorism,” said bandana-wearing 65-year-old Merida Delgado Perez, a Fujimori supporter, expressing fears that the left could lead Peru down a path seen in Venezuela and Cuba.

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Each candidate has framed the election as a turning point for a country that has burned through eight presidents in a decade.

Polls show them separated by only a few points, with roughly a fifth of voters still undecided in the last week of the campaign.

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An inconclusive first round with dozens of candidates reflected widespread frustration with Peru’s political class.

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