Left-wing candidate from Peru is making strides in the presidential race, according to a recent poll
Peruvian left-wing candidate Alfonso Lopez Chau is narrowing the gap with the two leading right-wing candidates in the race, according to a recent poll conducted just weeks ahead of the presidential election.
• Lopez Chau, an economist and former central bank director from the left-wing party Juntos por el Peru, increased his support to 6.5% of the vote, up from 5.1% in the previous poll.
• In a Datum Internacional survey, the leading candidates, Rafael Lopez Aliaga and Keiko Fujimori, received 11.4% and 10.9% of the vote, respectively.
• Those figures may suggest a technical tie within the poll’s margin of error of +/-2.5%
The survey took place from March 6 to 10 and was released on Sunday via America Television.
Retired Air Force General and former intelligence director Wolfgang Crozo secured fourth place with 5.1% of the vote.
• Fujimori, campaigning for a fourth term, is the daughter of former president Alberto Fujimori, who served 16 years in prison for human rights violations.
• The percentage of Peruvians who are undecided or intend not to vote has decreased to 36.7%, down from 38.5% previously, though it remains high compared to the 18% recorded at a similar point before the 2021 presidential election.
POLITICAL ENVIRONMENT
• Peru, having faced ongoing political instability with eight presidents since 2018, is set to hold elections on April 12.
• No first-round winner is anticipated, and a run-off vote is expected in June.
• The new president will take office at the end of July.
• The world’s third-largest copper producer, with an economy heavily reliant on mining, has demonstrated resilience in the face of political shocks.
• The most recent official data revealed that Peru’s economy grew by 3.54% year over year in January, driven by a rise in the production of copper, zinc, gold, and silver.
