Overview
- The presidential runoff between Keiko Fujimori and Roberto Sánchez produced a razor‑thin result with polls and partial counts showing margins of roughly one percentage point and tallies from rural regions still arriving.
- A judge on Friday formally ordered a criminal trial for Sánchez over alleged undeclared party donations from 2018–2020, prompting his team to announce an appeal and giving prosecutors a sought sentence of about five years and four months.
- Prosecutors say Sánchez failed to report more than $57,000 in donations to Juntos por el Perú, an allegation he denies as politically motivated and that has drawn criticism over the timing of the court action.
- If Sánchez ultimately wins the presidency he would gain constitutional immunity from prosecution, a factor that heightens stakes around the late legal move and public concern about the politicization of courts.
- The campaign centered on security and inequality, with Fujimori promising a hardline crackdown on crime and Sánchez proposing greater state control of resources, and analysts warn the next leader will face a fragmented Congress and deep social divides.