Fujimori Nears a Narrow Win in Peru as the Left Calls Protests

Peru still has no proclaimed president ten days after its June 7 runoff, but the right-wing candidate Keiko Fujimori is heading toward victory. MercoPress reported that with 99.1 percent of the vote counted, Fujimori leads the left-wing Roberto Sánchez by roughly 36,889 votes and is projected as the virtual winner.

The margin is narrow enough to be disputed, and the political left has called for protests. Peru has experienced repeated political crises and short-lived governments in recent years, and a contested, narrow result raises the risk of renewed instability in a major copper producer.

The country's politics matter beyond its borders because Peru is among the world's largest sources of copper, a metal central to electrification and construction. Prolonged uncertainty or unrest can disrupt mining operations and the supply that global manufacturers depend on.