On Sunday, Peru is holding its ninth presidential election in 10 years.

Democratic socialist candidate Roberto Sanchez is facing the neoliberal Keiko Fujimori in a tightly contested runoff election centered on political instability and rising crime.

About 27 million voters are eligible to cast ballots for the five-year presidential term.

Who are the candidates?

In the first round of the election featuring 35 presidential candidates, Fujimori advanced to the runoff with just 17% of the vote, while Sanchez secured around 12%.

Fujimori is the daughter of former autocratic President Alberto Fujimori. In her fourth presidency bid, she is promising a hardline security stance that includes tougher prisons and military deployments.

Sanchez, a congressman and former minister backed by former President Pedro Castillo, has pledged to maintain economic stability while tackling corruption.

On Friday, a judge ruled that Sanchez could stand trial over alleged campaign finance violations. Prosecutors have indicted the politician, alleging inconsistencies in his party's financial reports.

He has been accused of receiving tens of thousands of dollars in unreported contributions. Sanchez denies the accusations.

Who were the Peruvian presidents in the past decade?

The vote comes after years of political turmoil in Peru, which has seen eight presidents since 2016.

• Pedro Pablo Kuczynski (July 2016 — March 2018)
• Martin Vizcarra (March 2018 — November 2020)
• Manuel Merino (November 10, 2020 — November 15, 2020)
• Francisco Sagasti (November 2020 — July 2021)
• Pedro Castillo (July 2021 — Dec 2022)
• Dina Boluarte (December 2022 — October 2025)
• Jose Jeri (Oct 2025 — February 2026)
• Jose Maria Balcazar (February 2026 — incumbent)

Neither candidate in this Sunday election has a legislative majority, which raises the prospect of continued instability.

The winner will replace interim president Balcazar on July 28.

Lima bus drivers fear for their safety in Peru's crime spike

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Edited by: Dmytro Hubenko

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