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Vladimir Cerrón, Still Underground, Announces Peru Libre Presidential Precandidacy as 2026 Race Idles

Analysts expect voter preferences to start shifting in February when campaigning intensifies.

Overview

  • From hiding, Vladimir Cerrón unveiled a Peru Libre ticket featuring congressman Flavio Cruz and his mother Bertha Rojas, declaring a bid for his party’s internal contest.
  • Cerrón remains a fugitive since 2023 and previously saw a 2021 bid struck down by the electoral tribunal over a prior conviction, with new legal cases pending against him.
  • Parties are choosing precandidates in November with formal registrations due in December, and polling shows low public awareness that is unlikely to change before year‑end.
  • Researchers report a pattern of a more volatile right‑leaning electorate and left‑leaning voters deciding later, with strategic “voto útil” expected to strengthen close to election day.
  • Experts urge Congress to allow polls to be published up to three days before voting, as familiar figures like Keiko Fujimori pursue another run and Pedro Pablo Kuczynski seeks a Senate spot in a fragmented field.