Left-wing candidate concedes Peru presidential race to right-wing rival

Left-wing candidate Roberto Sanchez conceded Peru's presidential election to Keiko Fujimori on Monday, days after the National Jury of Elections certified her win. The concession ends weeks of vote counting and fraud allegations that followed the June 7 run-off. Sanchez and his party stated they recognised the official results proclaimed by the National Elections Board.

Election results and background Fujimori received about 9,223,000 votes to Sanchez's 9,173,000, a margin of roughly 50,000 votes. Both candidates advanced from an April general election that featured 35 contenders. Sanchez, a member of Congress, campaigned on constitutional changes to increase recognition for ethnic groups, state oversight of natural resources, and higher taxes on top earners.

He drew support from rural and indigenous voters and wore a wide-brimmed straw hat associated with former president Pedro Castillo. Fujimori campaigned on a tough-on-crime platform and pledged to unite the country. She is the daughter of former president Alberto Fujimori, who died in 2024 after serving a prison sentence for human rights abuses.

Political context Peru will inaugurate its ninth president in ten years when Fujimori takes office later this month. The incoming administration will oversee the reconstitution of the legislature into a Senate and Chamber of Deputies. The Senate was dissolved in the 1990s by Fujimori's father, resulting in the current unicameral system.