Peru set to choose from a bewildering array of 35 presidential hopefuls

AdvertisementAmericas and the CaribbeanWorldAmericasPeru set to choose from a bewildering array of 35 presidential hopefulsRight-wing candidate Keiko Fujimori holds first place ⁠in the polls ⁠one week before Peru’s presidential election 3-MIN READ3-MIN ListenAgence France-PressePublished: 12:12pm, 8 Apr 2026Peruvians will choose from a bewildering array of 35 presidential candidates this Sunday, electing the next leader of an Andean nation beset by crime and a string of short-lived, scandal-tainted presidencies. “Now any old person runs for office,” said 51-year-old teacher Jane Layza, pondering the plethora of presidential hopefuls, and how she will cast her ballot. A few in the field are well known – a popular male comic, the daughter of a brutal autocrat, and a former Lima mayor who likens himself to a cartoon pig. AdvertisementBut no candidate was polling above the teens, and it was unlikely any would break the 50 per cent threshold needed to avoid a run-off. That has been frustrating news for fed-up Peruvians. Pocked with stifling jungles, brilliant snowcapped peaks, and bone-dry deserts, this crucible of the Inca Empire has in recent years struggled with chronic political instability and a surge in organised crime. AdvertisementThe country has had eight presidents in the last decade. So many have been removed from office and jailed that they have a specialised prison of their own. AdvertisementSelect VoiceSelect Speed0.8x0.9x1.0x1.1x1.2x1.5x1.75x00:0000:001.00x