Peru Holds Presidential Election with 35 Candidates Amid Instability and Crime Concerns

Peru holds a presidential election on Sunday with a record 35 candidates competing amid deep political instability that has seen nine presidents in the past decade. Former frontrunner Rafael Lopez Aliaga, who ran a far-right campaign proposing US military intervention against gangs, has plummeted to just 7 percent in polls while Keiko Fujimori leads by eight points. More than 60 percent of Peruvians say Trump's endorsement matters little to them, and distrust of the US government has risen to 48 percent in 2026, more than double the 2019 level. The election occurs as Peru navigates tensions between the US and China, with the Trump administration accusing Peru of surrendering sovereignty over a Chinese-built mega-port while Peru remains Latin America's second-largest recipient of Chinese investment.

Lopez Aliaga's Pro-Trump Campaign Strategy and Electoral Decline

• ▪Rafael Lopez Aliaga posted on April 3, 2026 that one of his first moves as president would be to join the Shield of the Americas
• ▪Rafael Lopez Aliaga rejected being called the 'Peruvian Trump' during his 2021 presidential bid, telling a local newspaper that Trump was 'a very disrespectful, intolerant person'
• ▪Rafael Lopez Aliaga fell to just 7 percent of voter intent according to an Ipsos poll released one week before Peru's April 2026 election
• ▪Rafael Lopez Aliaga rarely mentioned Trump in recent months before Peru's April 2026 election
• ▪Rafael Lopez Aliaga organized a memorial for Charlie Kirk in October 2025 despite only learning about the Trump-aligned activist after his assassination
• ▪Rafael Lopez Aliaga had been the frontrunner in Peru's presidential race since August 2025
• ▪Rafael Lopez Aliaga claimed that US Secretary of State Marco Rubio invited him to Trump's inauguration in 2025
• ▪Keiko Fujimori overtook Rafael Lopez Aliaga by eight points in the Ipsos poll released one week before Peru's April 2026 election

Peruvian Public Sentiment Toward Trump and US Influence

• ▪The share of Peruvians who distrust the US government rose to 48 percent in 2026, more than double the portion in 2019
• ▪US-made F-16 fighter jets cost nearly twice as much per unit as Swedish Gripen fighter jets
• ▪The Trump administration publicly accused Peru in February 2026 of surrendering its sovereignty by allowing a Chinese company to build and operate a mega-port on its coast
• ▪More than 60 percent of Peruvians said Trump's endorsement would matter little to nothing when deciding who to vote for, according to a March 2026 poll
• ▪Peruvian wariness of the US government is 13 points higher than concerns about China according to 2026 Institute of Peruvian Studies polling
• ▪The Peruvian government nixed plans to buy two dozen Swedish Gripen fighter jets and opted instead for US-made F-16s

Domestic Focus of Peru's Presidential Race Amid Political Instability

• ▪Roberto Sanchez is a far-left candidate who surged in the polls in recent weeks before Peru's April 2026 election
• ▪More than 20 percent of Peruvian voters were still undecided one week before the April 2026 election
• ▪A record 35 candidates are vying for the presidency in Peru's April 2026 election