Lima, Peru — Peru’s general election, held on Sunday April 12, has been thrown into uncertainty by a series of logistical failures, tally disputes and newly reported fraud. This has raised doubts about the veracity of the process, despite authorities insisting there is no evidence of fraud.
With partial results still being processed days later, no clear contender has emerged in the runoff, despite Keiko Fujimori coming in first with about 17% of the vote. The race for second place between right-wing candidate Rafael López Aliaga and left-wing Roberto Sánchez is split by a razor-thin margin and could ultimately be decided by thousands of votes.
Delays, missing data, ballots found in trash cans
Election Day was marked by widespread delays in the delivery of voting materials, especially in Lima, forcing authorities to extend voting in several regions until Monday.
Authorities are now investigating more serious incidents. In one of the most widely reported cases, sealed boxes containing 1,200 ballots were found scattered across four tamper-proof containers and dumped in a trash can in the Surco Lima neighborhood.
The National Office of Electoral Processes (ONPE) said the incident occurred due to negligence during the transport of ballot boxes and tally sheets to the central headquarters. However, he claimed that the management system was not damaged, pointing out that the vehicle was attended by coordinators, police officers, and election observers from the National Election Jury.
But Roberto Burneo, chairman of the National Jury of Elections (JNE), told the parliamentary oversight committee on Friday that ONPE’s statement was “false.”
“It is important to clarify that with regard to these boxes, contrary to what ONPE indicated, there were no observers or police officers accompanying them. The boxes were transported in an unregistered private vehicle and no JNE was present,” he said.
Berneo added that evidence has already been submitted to prosecutors.
“Serious misconduct” but not fraud, observer says
Despite the growing list of incidents, international observers and election experts from the Organization of American States have distinguished between administrative failures and deliberate manipulation.
Former Attorney General Aldo Vázquez told CNN: “There were serious illegal acts that needed to be investigated and sanctioned, but this was not a fraudulent situation.” “There is no evidence to support that claim, at least so far.”
Observers from international organizations echoed this assessment, noting that while “serious misconduct” had been documented, it did not amount to systematic fraud.
But the scale and variety of the problems, from delayed voting openings to missing data, have undermined public trust.
Thousands of contested votes could decide a runoff.
At the center of the uncertainty are more than 5,000 tally sheets — worth just over 1 million votes — that have been marked “disputed” due to inconsistencies such as missing signatures, illegible numbers and arithmetic errors.
The vote is currently being reviewed by election authorities and could determine who advances to a closely contested runoff.
“Of course they can change the results,” said election lawyer Silvia Guevara. “The differences between the candidates are so small that this vote could tip the balance.”
He added, “This is a situation that cannot be resolved tomorrow or within 2-3 days,” and added, “Citizens will have to wait patiently.”
Institutional crisis and ongoing investigation
The fallout prompted several investigations. The Public Ministry and the Auditor General have launched an investigation, and the National Judicial Council, the body that oversees judicial appointments, has opened a preliminary investigation into ONPE’s head, Piero Corvetto Salinas.
Spokesperson Vasquez said this process could lead to disciplinary sanctions or even suspension, adding, “It is very likely that a formal process will be held.”
Meanwhile, election authorities confirmed that at least 85 requests were received to cancel the election, further complicating the schedule.
With a runoff scheduled for June, the next few days will be crucial not only to determine who advances, but also to whether Peru’s electoral body can restore public trust after one of the most controversial elections in recent years.
