Peruvians choosing a president from 35-candidate pool in Sunday's election

(9 Apr 2026)
RESTRICTION SUMMARY:

ASSOCIATED PRESS
Lima, Peru – 07 April 2026
1. European Union observers gather outside a hotel in Lima to travel to all regions of Peru to observe the general election on 12 April
2. European Union flags
3. European Union observers entering vehicles to go to the airport and catch domestic flights within Peru
4. SOUNDBITE (English) Alexander Gray, Deputy Head of the European Union Observer Mission:
"Today, the European Union is deploying its short-term observers across the country; we are going to be present on election day in all of the regions of the country."
5. Various of political posters that political parties have put up on the streets of Lima

ASSOCIATED PRESS
Lima, Peru – 06 April 2026
5. SOUNDBITE (Spanish) Fernando Tuesta Soldevilla, Political Analyst:
"In the early stages of the campaign; much emphasis was placed on the issue, but the solutions to the violence seemed relatively straightforward for the candidates: they all offered the death penalty, prison, etc. But merely as a list, without specifying how this would be implemented."
6. Various of political posters that political parties have put up on the streets of Lima
STORYLINE:
A former minister, a comedian and a political heiress are among 35 candidates for Peru's ninth president in just 10 years.

The election Sunday takes place during a surge in violent crime and corruption, fuelling widespread discontent among voters, who largely view candidates as dishonest and unprepared for the presidency.

Many of the contenders have responded to people’s crime concerns with wide-ranging proposals, including building megaprisons, restricting food for prisoners and reinstating the death penalty for serious crimes.

“You can’t trust anyone anymore, nothing’s going to change,” construction worker Juan Gómez, 53, said as he carried two heavy bags with potatoes and rice to feed his five children. “(Criminals) come on motorcycles, put a gun to your head… you look around and there’s no police officer. What are you going to do? You just let them rob you.”

Voting is mandatory for Peruvians from the ages of 18 to 70. More than 27 million people are registered, and of those, about 1.2 million are expected to cast ballots from abroad, mainly in the United States and Argentina.

A candidate needs more than 50% of votes to win outright. However, a runoff in June is virtually assured given the deeply divided electorate and the pool of candidates, the largest in the Andean country’s history.

A major preoccupation is surging crime, which has led to frequent protests. Homicides have doubled and cases of extortion have increased fivefold this decade, according to official data.

“You get on the bus, and you have to sit far from the driver; you don’t know if you’ll make it home alive,” retiree Raúl Zevallos, 63, said. “Criminals drive by on motorcycles, shoot, kill the driver, and you could die, too.”

More than 200 public transportation drivers were killed in Peru in 2025. The same year, a national survey carried out by the state’s National Institute of Statistics and Informatics found that 84% of respondents in urban areas feared becoming victims of a crime in the following 12 months.

Thirty-five people are on the ballot, including Keiko Fujimori, a conservative former congresswoman and daughter of the late President Alberto Fujimori. This marks her fourth attempt to become president.
If elected, she has said judges presiding over criminal cases will be anonymous and prisoners will have to work to earn their food.
What else is on the ballot?
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