Neil Anthony Giardino
13 June 2026•Update: 13 June 2026
Keiko Fujimori has maintained a marginal lead in Peru’s presidential runoff election with still no clear winner declared, as challenger Roberto Sanchez demanded a recount Friday amid mounting tensions with 98.3% of votes tallied.
The latest figures from the National Office of Electoral Processes (ONPE) show Fujimori, from the conservative Popular Force party, holding 50.010% of the vote to Sanchez, candidate for the leftist Together for Peru coalition, with 49.990% -- a margin of roughly 1,500 votes.
The Special Electoral Jury is reviewing more than 1,500 tally sheets flagged for irregularities, as the final count advances toward certification.
Sanchez urged Fujimori to agree to a joint review of all runoff votes during a news conference in Lima, citing what he alleged are irregularities in vote counting, and leaving the door open for a potential recount.
"Transparency, respect for the popular vote, democracy, zero controversy – that means revealing actions where we believe and suspect, with evidence, that something is amiss," said Sanchez. “I propose that we jointly request, within the framework of due process, the institutional integrity of the electoral process, international observers, and that we conduct a thorough review and a recount.”
Both candidates retain the right to legally challenge the results through Peru’s electoral tribunal, though electoral authorities have so far found no evidence of widespread fraud in Sunday’s runoff.
As final votes are counted and Peruvians await their ninth leader in a decade, tension is rising in Lima. A pro-Sanchez demonstration billed as “The taking of Lima” was called for Friday, demanding transparency in the final stages of the runoff.
Sanchez has urged supporters to protest peacefully. In response to the demonstration, Fujimori also encouraged peaceful protests.
"In our country, citizens have the right to march, to express their differing opinions. Everything is guaranteed, but this must be within the framework of the law, the Constitution, and with respect for other citizens," she said.
