Peru Votes for President Again as Crime Worries Grow

In the first round of voting in April, 35 candidates ran for president. Fujimori got 17% of the vote, and Sánchez got 12%. Neither candidate got even 20% of support. About 30% of voters still don't know who they will choose. This means the election will be very close.

Keiko Fujimori is 51 years old and comes from a political family. Her father, Alberto Fujimori, was president in the 1990s but was later sent to prison for corruption. She became Peru's first lady in 1994 when her parents separated. This is her fourth time running for president. Many people don't trust her because of her father's problems.

Roberto Sánchez is 57 years old and used to be a government minister. He is popular with people who live in rural areas. He supports Pedro Castillo, a former president who is now in jail. Castillo was seen as corrupt and couldn't keep his government stable. During his 16 months as president, he changed his Cabinet ministers more than 70 times.

Crime is the biggest worry for voters in this election. A 2025 national survey found that 84% of people in cities feared becoming victims of a crime in the following 12 months. Experts say organized crime groups are getting stronger because they make money from illegal gold mining. These criminal groups operate in the Andes mountains and Amazon rainforest.

Fujimori promises to fight crime with tough methods. She wants to use technology to track criminals who demand money from people. She also wants to put more police and soldiers in dangerous areas. She says prisoners should work to pay back society. In a debate, she promised that people would be safe to leave their homes without becoming crime victims.

Sánchez has different ideas about fighting crime. He wants to fight corruption inside the police force first. He thinks the military should help with security. He wears a special hat that was given to him by Pedro Castillo. Sánchez also told business leaders that he supports investments from China and won't take away property from foreign companies that mine in Peru.