The whole affair was a waste of time and the authorities are incompetent
Em um país que já atravessou oito presidentes em uma década, o Peru concluiu uma eleição marcada por falhas logísticas que privaram 50 mil eleitores do direito ao voto no domingo, forçando uma extensão inédita do pleito para a segunda-feira. Com contagens parciais apontando Keiko Fujimori à frente com 17%, a filha do ex-ditador Alberto Fujimori parece encaminhada ao segundo turno, embora seu adversário ainda seja incerto. O episódio revela não apenas uma crise administrativa, mas o estado frágil das instituições democráticas de um país que busca, nas urnas, respostas para uma violência que dobrou em menos de uma década.
- Cerca de 50 mil eleitores em Lima foram impedidos de votar no domingo por falta de materiais eleitorais, gerando indignação generalizada e uma extensão inédita do prazo de votação.
- O presidente do órgão eleitoral e três outros funcionários enfrentam acusações criminais por negligência, violação de direitos eleitorais e omissão na comunicação do problema aos cidadãos.
- Keiko Fujimori lidera com 17% das apurações parciais, mas a disputa pelo segundo lugar permanece aberta entre o ultraconservador López Aliaga e o esquerdista Sánchez, cujos votos dependem de regiões ainda não totalizadas.
- O próximo presidente herdará um país onde homicídios dobraram e extorsões aumentaram oito vezes desde 2018, e os três principais candidatos respondem com propostas de força: prisões militarizadas, deportações em massa e juízes anônimos.
- Uma vitória de Fujimori alinharia o Peru ao giro direitista da América Latina e aproximaria o país da administração Trump, com promessas de expulsão de imigrantes e atração de capital americano.
O Peru encerrou uma eleição marcada por uma crise sem precedentes: cerca de 50 mil eleitores em Lima só puderam votar na segunda-feira, após falhas logísticas terem impedido o acesso às urnas no domingo. A extensão do prazo de votação foi inédita na história recente do país e expôs rachaduras profundas na máquina eleitoral. Nancy Gómez, trabalhadora doméstica de 56 anos, resumiu o sentimento coletivo ao dizer que tudo não passou de perda de tempo e incompetência.
A resposta institucional foi rápida: o Jurado Nacional Eleitoral abriu processo criminal contra Piero Corvetto, chefe do órgão responsável pela logística das eleições, e outros três funcionários, acusados de omissão e obstrução do processo. A polícia chegou a realizar buscas na sede do órgão, apreendendo documentos ligados à empresa contratada para entregar os materiais de votação.
Nas apurações parciais, Keiko Fujimori liderava com 17%, com pouco mais da metade das atas contabilizadas. A disputa pelo segundo lugar permanecia indefinida: enquanto Rafael López Aliaga e Jorge Nieto apareciam à frente nos primeiros resultados — que naturalmente refletem mais Lima —, a projeção da Ipsos indicava que o esquerdista Roberto Sánchez poderia avançar ao segundo turno conforme os votos do interior fossem apurados. Fujimori comemorou cedo, afirmando que impedir a esquerda de chegar ao segundo turno seria bom para todos os peruanos.
O pano de fundo é um país em crise profunda: oito presidentes em dez anos, homicídios que dobraram desde 2018 e extorsões que aumentaram oito vezes. Os três principais candidatos responderam com propostas de mão dura — prisões militarizadas, deportações em massa, juízes anônimos e purgas nas forças de segurança. Quem quer que vença herdará uma nação que pede ordem, e uma campanha que só soube oferecer a linguagem da força.
Peru's electoral authorities scrambled to contain a logistical crisis on Monday when roughly 50,000 voters in Lima finally got their chance to cast ballots—a day late, after material shortages had locked them out of polling stations on Sunday. The extended voting window was unprecedented in the country's recent history, a visible crack in the machinery of democracy that left officials facing criminal charges and voters exhausted by the dysfunction.
With partial results trickling in from the first day's voting, right-wing candidate Keiko Fujimori held a commanding lead at 17 percent, though only 57 percent of tally sheets had been counted. The daughter of former autocrat Alberto Fujimori, who ruled Peru from 1990 to 2000, appeared positioned to advance to a runoff—but her opponent remained uncertain. Millions of votes from across the country still awaited tabulation, and depending on how those numbers fell, the second-place finisher could be a surprise entirely.
The voting delays had infuriated ordinary Peruvians. Nancy Gómez, a 56-year-old domestic worker, summed up the mood after voting on Monday: the whole affair was a waste of time and a hassle, she told reporters, and the people running the election were simply incompetent. The People's Ombudsman office, which monitored the extended voting day, reported that polling stations closed around 6 p.m. local time.
The fallout was swift. Peru's National Electoral Jury—the highest authority in the electoral justice system—filed criminal charges against Piero Corvetto, head of the National Electoral Processes Office, and three other officials. They were accused of violating voting rights, obstructing the electoral process, and dereliction of duty. The charges alleged that Corvetto had failed to inform the public in a timely manner about the scale of the material shortage, leaving citizens in the dark for most of Sunday. Police and prosecutors had already raided the electoral office's headquarters in downtown Lima, seizing documents related to the contractor responsible for delivering voting materials.
As partial tallies favored Fujimori, the race for second place remained fluid. The ultraconservative Rafael López Aliaga and social democrat Jorge Nieto were competing for position in the preliminary count, which naturally weighted Lima's votes first. But polling firm Ipsos projected a different picture: leftist Roberto Sánchez, the political heir of former president Pedro Castillo, could claim the second spot once votes from other regions were fully counted. Sánchez had served as president from 2021 to 2022 before his own political collapse.
Fujimori, 50, celebrated in the early hours of Monday, framing the election as a choice between her and the left. She told supporters that preventing leftist candidates from advancing to the runoff would be good for all Peruvians. Sánchez, for his part, spoke of a national refounding—a new constitution, a fresh start. Political scientist Carlos Meléndez noted that if Fujimori faced López Aliaga in a runoff, she would be competing against someone positioned even further to the right than herself, which could work to her advantage.
The stakes extended beyond Peru's borders. A Fujimori victory would align the country with the rightward drift sweeping Latin America, bringing it closer to the Trump administration in Washington. In a recent interview, Fujimori promised to expel undocumented immigrants and court American capital investment.
Underlying the entire election was a country in crisis. Peru had endured eight presidents in the past decade, a symptom of deeper institutional rot. Crime had become the dominant concern for voters. Since 2018, homicides had doubled and extortion cases had increased eightfold. All three leading candidates had responded with hardline proposals: Fujimori promised to withdraw Peru from the Inter-American Court of Human Rights jurisdiction and reinstate anonymous judges to handle criminal cases, while also militarizing prisons and forcing inmates to work for food. López Aliaga proposed isolated prisons deep in the Amazon and vowed to hunt down undocumented Venezuelan migrants one by one for deportation. Sánchez announced plans to purge police leadership and repeal laws he claimed had enabled criminal activity. The next president would inherit a nation desperate for security and stability, and the campaign had offered only the language of force.
Notable Quotes
It is a waste of time and it is bothersome. The authorities are incompetent.— Nancy Gómez, 56-year-old domestic worker, after voting Monday
The enemy is the left. They would not be in the next stage and that is positive for all Peruvians.— Keiko Fujimori, in remarks to supporters early Monday
The Hearth Conversation Another angle on the story
Why did Peru need a second day of voting at all? Was this a normal part of the process?
No—this was unprecedented. About 50,000 people in Lima couldn't vote on Sunday because polling stations didn't have the materials they needed. The electoral office failed to deliver ballots and other supplies on time. So authorities had to extend voting to Monday, which almost never happens.
And people were angry about it?
Absolutely. A woman I read about, Nancy Gómez, called it a waste of time and said the authorities were incompetent. Imagine showing up to vote and being turned away because of someone else's failure to do their job.
What happened to the officials responsible?
The electoral authorities filed criminal charges against the head of the electoral office and three others. They're accused of violating voting rights and basically abandoning their duty to inform the public about how bad the shortage was.
So who's actually winning the election?
That's the interesting part. Keiko Fujimori, a right-wing candidate, is leading with 17 percent in the partial count. But only about half the votes have been tallied. Her runoff opponent could be anyone—it might be a leftist candidate, or it might be someone even further right than her.
What does Peru actually need from its next president?
Crime is the biggest issue. Homicides have doubled since 2018, and extortion is through the roof. The country has had eight presidents in ten years, so there's real instability. Every candidate is promising to crack down hard on crime, but their methods are extreme—militarized prisons, mass deportations, anonymous judges.
Does this election matter beyond Peru?
Yes. If Fujimori wins, Peru joins a wave of right-wing governments in Latin America aligned with Trump's administration. She's already promised to expel undocumented immigrants and attract American investment. It's part of a larger regional shift.