PERU CONFIRMS FUJIMORI AND SANCHEZ TO CONTEST JUNE 7 PRESIDENTIAL RUNOFF

Peru's National Jury of Elections confirmed on Sunday that right-wing candidate Keiko Fujimori and leftist congressman Roberto Sánchez will contest a presidential runoff on June 7, after official results from the April first round were formally certified. Fujimori of Fuerza Popular received 17.2 percent of the valid vote, while Sánchez of Juntos por el Perú placed second with 12 percent, according to the electoral body.

The announcement came after weeks of delays and legal challenges that slowed the official count. The National Jury acknowledged logistical problems during the first round and pledged corrective measures before the June vote. Hours after Sánchez's advancement was formally announced, Peru's public prosecutor's office disclosed financial crime charges against the leftist candidate — a development his allies described as politically motivated and timed to influence the runoff campaign.

Fujimori, daughter of imprisoned former president Alberto Fujimori, is running for the presidency for the third time after narrow defeats in 2011 and 2021. Her platform centers on economic stability and public security. Sánchez, a sitting member of Congress, has campaigned on reducing inequality and increasing state oversight of the country's mining sector, including its significant copper industry.

Peru is one of the world's largest copper producers, and analysts expect the election outcome to shape foreign investment policy and mining contracts. The country's relationship with China — which holds major stakes in Peruvian copper operations — is also expected to be a key variable depending on the result, according to reporting by France 24 and Rio Times. The runoff is scheduled for June 7.