Leftist leads in Peruvian presidential race
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.A leftist former military officer who promises to favour the poor by redistributing Peru's mineral wealth is expected to win a presidential election but fall far short of the outright majority needed to avoid a run-off.
That made the tight battle for second place in yesterday's vote crucial. Tied runners-up in an election-eve poll were Keiko Fujimori, the 35-year-old daughter of the imprisoned former President Alberto Fujimori whom Peruvians alternately adore and vilify, and Pedro Pablo Kuczynski, a 72-year-old former World Bank economist and investment banker.
Ollanta Humala, the frontrunner, who has worried foreign investors by promising a greater state role in the economy and exporting less natural gas while making it cheaper for Peruvians, prevailed in the first round of the 2006 presidential election only to lose a run-off.
This resource-rich, corruption-bedevilled Andean nation has been notorious for its volatile politics since the 1980s, when its discredited political parties all but dissolved and elections became more about personality than ideology.
Yesterday's vote, after which the two top candidates will meet in a run-off on 5 June, is the most unpredictable in decades. Analysts say the electorate is even more fragmented than in 2006, when the outgoing President, Alan Garcia, beat Mr Humala, by 53 percent to 47 percent.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments