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'Fujimori never again' - Roberto Sanchez demands respect for 'voice of people' as Peru runoff reaches technical tie

"Presidential candidate of Juntos por el Peru, Roberto Sanchez, called on his supporters to defend the vote and respect the electoral result on Sunday night, as preliminary data showed the election was in a deadlocked technical tie between Sanchez and rival Keiko Fujimori. “More than ten years have been lost due to this political instability. We must stop this criminality, we must stop the corruption, the contempt for life. We must stop, comrades, and resume a healthy, exemplary, democratic leadership of a Peru that respects itself and gives rights to all Peruvians,” Sanchez said to his supporters in Lima. "This is the moment for the defence of the vote, for electoral transparency," he affirmed. His supporters could also be heard chanting, "For justice and dignity. Fujimori never again." It comes as preliminary quick-count figures from Datum Internacional show that Sanchez is leading the race with 50.14% of the vote, compared to 49.86% for Keiko Fujimori - a margin of just 0.28 percentage points. A similar result was reported by Ipsos, which attributes 50.3% of the vote to Sanchez and 49.7% to Fujimori. "In the quick count, there is a significant advantage that reaffirms the will of the people who want democracy and justice... I call on our representatives, the social movement, the democratic institutions, to respect, demand respect for the electoral result and the voice of the people," Sanchez added. The 57-year-old is one of the main figures of the Peruvian left, guiding the Juntos por el Peru coalition after previously serving in Castillo’s administration as Minister of Foreign Trade and Tourism. The presidential inauguration is scheduled for 28 July 2026, coinciding with celebrations for Peru's independence, where the elected leader will assume the presidency for a five-year term."