Peru Faces Choice Between Fujimorism and New Constitution: Sánchez Promises Referendum Amid Keiko’s ‘War’ Rhetoric

Original article: Perú decide entre fujimorismo y nueva Constitución: Sánchez promete referéndum y Keiko agita la “guerra”

This Sunday, June 7, Peruvians will head to the polls to determine not only who will hold the presidency for the 2026-2031 term but also the institutional direction of a nation marked by a decade of instability with eight leaders. The campaign for the runoff concluded this Thursday with two radically opposing proposals: the progressive Roberto Sánchez from Juntos por el Peru, who reiterated his promise to hold a referendum on drafting a new Constitution, and the right-wing Keiko Fujimori from Fuerza Popular, who focused her campaign on public safety and rallied support for a «guerra» against criminals.

In an event held in the city of Arequipa, Sánchez sent a direct message to the 35 million Peruvians. «We will hold a great referendum and say: ‘Dear people, the time has come, do you want a new Constitution?’» expressed the candidate, who aims to repeal the Constitution enacted in 1993 during Alberto Fujimori’s administration, the father of his rival. His proposal entails a structural change that, according to his supporters, would restore popular sovereignty and the balance of powers, eroded by years of political crisis.

Meanwhile, Keiko Fujimori, aligned with the most radical right, emphasized a punitive and orderly approach, using crime fighting as the main focus of her campaign closure. Without providing concrete details about potentially respecting the electoral results, the Fuerza Popular representative resorted to the rhetoric of a «war» against criminals, aiming to mobilize the fearful vote in a country where public safety is a top demand.

Her silence regarding the transparency of the runoff has raised alarms, recalling that in 2021 she refused to concede her defeat to Pedro Castillo by just 44,000 votes, alleging manipulation.

Former Candidates Support Sánchez

Polls indicate that the margin between the two candidates is within the statistical error margin, suggesting a tight outcome, according to TeleSUR.

In this context, several former presidential candidates from various political orientations have publicly backed Sánchez to prevent what they see as a risk of power concentration if Fujimorism triumphs. In a press conference in Lima, leaders Alfonso López Chau (Ahora Nación), Ricardo Belmont, Daniel Barragán, and George Forsyth (Somos Perú) expressed their support, along with Mesías Guevara and Yhony Lescano.

«If our alliance wins, Ms. Keiko and her supporters will control Congress, but there will be a division of powers; if Keiko wins, she will control everything and there will be no division of powers,» emphasized López Chau, deeming the separation of powers as the center of any constitution. Forsyth, meanwhile, warned of the «takeover of institutions by Fujimorism» and reminded attendees that since Fuerza Popular gained a parliamentary majority in 2016, chaos and instability began.

Respect for Electoral Results

For his part, Roberto Sánchez reiterated that his coalition will respect the results of Sunday’s election and urged Keiko Fujimori to speak clearly, as reported by the cited media.

«We are prepared to accept the electoral results. We urge Keiko not to send ambiguous messages,» he stated, warning that if the right-wing candidate «raises the fraud thesis again,» it could create a scenario of greater instability.

To ensure transparency, the leftist candidate called for 90,000 of his own observers and formally requested international monitoring from the OAS and the European Union. «Let this process be transparent, overseen, and affirm the will of the people,» he concluded.