Peruvians head to the polls this Sunday, April 12, 2026, to elect their ninth president in just a decade.
The election comes at a time of deep exhaustion as the country grapples with a revolving door of leadership and a terrifying surge in organsied crime.
With 35 candidates on the ballot, no single leader is expected to win outright which will likely triggering a runoff in June.
The campaign has been dominated by promises of “mano dura” (iron fist) policies to combat extortion and murder.
Frontrunner Keiko Fujimori has centered her “Peru with Order” platform on security, stating, “We will force prisoners to work for their food, for their protein” to address the prison crisis.
Meanwhile, her closest rival, former Lima Mayor Rafael Lopez Aliaga, has proposed extreme measures including using venomous snakes to guard jungle prisons claiming “They will take care of security.”
Amid this rhetoric, voters remain skeptical of a political class many blame for the mess.
Anti-corruption expert Samuel Rotta warns that “high-level corruption has fueled a decade of political instability” allowing gangs to flourish.
As the military prepares to guard polling stations, Peru stands at a crossroads hoping this vote finally brings the stability that has eluded the nation for years.
