Peru’s Photo-Finish Election

Welcome back to Foreign Policy’s Latin America Brief. The highlights this week: Peru awaits results for its presidential election, acting Venezuelan President Delcy Rodríguez visits India and Turkey, and the World Cup kicks off in Mexico City. Welcome back to Foreign Policy’s Latin America Brief. The highlights this week: Peru awaits results for its presidential election, acting Venezuelan President Delcy Rodríguez visits India and Turkey, and the World Cup kicks off in Mexico City. Peru’s presidential runoff on June 7 was so close—and vote counting so slow—that it could be weeks before the results are fully confirmed. As of Thursday afternoon local time, with 98.2 percent of ballots counted, fewer than 1,000 votes separated right-wing Keiko Fujimori from her left-wing opponent, Roberto Sánchez. Both candidates are former lawmakers, but while Fujimori rose to national prominence by defending the legacy of her father—former President Alberto Fujimori—Sánchez hails from the party of former President Pedro Castillo, elected in 2021. Fujimori centered her campaign on law and order, while Sánchez’s focused more on addressing economic inequality. The down-to-the-wire vote has put Peruvians on edge, wondering not only whom their president will be but also whether the winner can govern effectively in a country that has forced out six of its nine leaders in a decade. Whether the losing candidate accepts the result will offer an early indication of how combative Peru’s opposition will be under a new administration. By Thursday, both campaigns had alleged some ballot irregularities and called for investigation. On Wednesday, Peruvian analysts noted that the remaining uncounted votes appeared to favor Fujimori. Though overseas votes are also breaking heavily for Fujimori, those cast within Peru seem to favor Sánchez. If Fujimori wins, Peru will become the latest Latin American country to swing to the right in a presidential election. But unlike the decisive victory of Javier Milei in Argentina, for example, Fujimori’s success would reflect a deeply divided electorate. Notably, Fujimori moderated her rhetoric ahead of the first-round election when faced with a candidate further to the right. Sánchez’s strong performance offers more evidence that Peruvians are skeptical of right-wing leaders. Sánchez courted centrist voters in recent weeks, painting himself as an institutionalist. In doing so, he implicitly distanced himself from his ally Castillo, who was removed from office in 2022 after attempting to dissolve the legislature and rule by decree. Peru’s next president—whomever it is—will grapple with a congress divided among left, right, and centrist blocs. The narrow presidential result suggests a weak mandate for the victor, but institutional changes may strengthen the next administration’s prospects for survival. On July 28, Peru will restore a bicameral legislature after three decades of unicameralism. Under the new system, impeaching a president will be a more cumbersome process, requiring approval from both chambers. Peru’s election could foreshadow developments elsewhere in the region. Colombia will hold its own presidential runoff on June 21. There, a right-wing candidate, Abelardo de la Espriella, leads the polls and has staked out a more radical position than Fujimori, pledging to slash 40 percent of government spending and carry out mass detentions of suspected criminals. Though their styles differ, de la Espriella and Fujimori could soon be the newest stars in a growing regional constellation of right-wing leaders. Tuesday, June 16, to Wednesday, June 17: Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva attends the G-7 summit in France. Mexico and the United States hold a second round of negotiations as part of the review of their trade deal with Canada. Sunday, June 21: Colombia holds a presidential runoff election. Monday, June 22: The Organization of American States begins a regular session of its General Assembly in Panama City. Artists perform during the opening ceremony of the 2026 World Cup ahead of the match between Mexico and South Africa in Mexico City on June 11.Yuri Cortez/AFP via Getty Images World Cup kicks off. The world’s biggest sporting event opened on Thursday in Mexico City, beginning with a match between Mexico and South Africa. The run-up to the tournament—co-hosted by Canada, Mexico, and the United States—was fraught with concerns about restrictive U.S. immigration policies inhibiting fans, players, and referees from entering the country. Against that backdrop, Mexican officials played up their country’s openness to all nationalities; Mexico has fewer visitor visa requirements than its co-hosts. Due to its tolerant fan atmosphere and strong soccer culture, Mexico could emerge as a soft-power winner from the tournament, several experts told Foreign Policy. Fans’ experience off the field is “fundamental” for how each World Cup is cemented in international memory, said

Peru’s Photo-Finish Election

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Peru’s Photo-Finish Election

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