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'There will be justice!' - Sanchez supporters rally in Lima as cliff-hanger runoff hangs in balance

"Supporters of left-wing presidential candidate Roberto Sanchez gathered in Lima’s Plaza San Martin on Sunday as votes were counted in Peru’s closely contested presidential runoff. Footage shows hundreds of supporters waving flags, chanting slogans and gathering in the capital’s historic square as the race remained too close to call. A quick count by pollster Datum Internacional gave Juntos por el Peru candidate Sanchez a marginal lead with 50.14 percent of the vote, compared with 49.86 percent for Keiko Fujimori, a difference of just 0.28 percentage points. “Our presidential candidate Roberto Sanchez had already come first in the quick count, I felt happy, delighted, shedding tears of joy, truly, because now our constitutionally elected president, Pedro Castillo Terrones (former president), is going to be freed,” a Sanchez supporter said. “Thank you, blessed God, for giving us this victory. We have fought for several months to recover our homeland,” she added. However, preliminary results from Peru’s National Office of Electoral Processes, or ONPE, showed Fujimori ahead with around 52.6 percent, compared with 47.3 percent for Sanchez, as the official count continued. The difference reflected the order in which ballots were being processed. Votes from Lima and other urban areas, where Fujimori performed strongly, were counted earlier, while Sanchez was expected to gain ground as more rural and highland votes arrived. “Keiko Fujimori. Never again, for the sake of dignity, will we allow it. We feel proud to have backed this very important proposal, to have faith and hope in a better future among all of us, to believe that there will be justice,” another Sanchez supporter said. Sanchez, 57, previously served as Peru’s minister of foreign trade and tourism under Castillo. During the campaign, he positioned himself as the political heir to Castillo’s movement and pledged reforms including a new constitution and greater investment in rural regions. Fujimori is seeking the presidency for a fourth time. The daughter of former president Alberto Fujimori campaigned on a tough-on-crime platform, promising stronger border controls, expanded police powers and harsher measures against organised crime. The runoff followed a highly fragmented first round in April involving 35 candidates. Fujimori advanced with around 17 percent of the vote, while Sanchez secured second place with roughly 12 percent. Election officials said the full count could continue until mid-July. The winner is due to take office on July 28 for a five-year term."