According to the counts, Roberto Sánchez, candidate of Juntos por el Perú, surpasses Rafael López Aliaga and is positioned with greater chances of advancing to the runoff. With 93. 23% of the ballots processed by the National Office of Electoral Processes of Peru (ONPE) after the voting last Sunday, the progressive candidate and representative of former president Pedro Castillo reaches 11.

98% of valid votes, equivalent to 1,884,660 voters, while the far-right leader of Renovación Popular obtains 11. 92% with 1,876,043 votes. Meanwhile, Keiko Fujimori of Fuerza Popular remains in first place with 17.

065%, equivalent to 2,684,105 votes, securing her passage to the second round scheduled for June 7. This is the fourth attempt by the right-wing candidate to reach the presidency of Peru. Rural vote is key to defining the results According to the newspaper Caretas, the gap narrows in favor of Roberto Sánchez as the counting of ballots from the interior of the country progresses, especially from the south and rural areas, "where his candidacy has shown greater penetration.

" In statements to this media outlet, analyst and electoral expert José Tello Alfaro suggested that the rural vote should not be measured solely in numbers, as its impact goes beyond that; it is necessary to consider its mobilization capacity and political effect. “Rural areas are not very populated, but there is significant mobilization of voters. Good political work there can yield good results, regardless of ideology,” he stated.

“The rural vote can influence the perception of the winning candidate because it is a vote that endorses, it is felt. I…

Roberto Sánchez defines himself as the "Castillo presidential candidate," and his political proposal seeks to reclaim the figure of former president Pedro Castillo, of whom he was Minister of Foreign Trade and Tourism. Castillo governed Peru from 2021 to 2022 and was subsequently removed and convicted for rebellion after an alleged failed attempt to dissolve Congress. During the electoral campaign, Sánchez has promised to pardon the former president, whom he defines as a victim of a "coup plot," reform the Constitution to "recover the government for the people"; nationalize natural resources, implement an emergency plan against hunger, and promote endogenous development of the regions.

His discourse has also focused on the fight against poverty, social inclusion, and modernization of the country.