Peruvian presidential candidate Rafael López Aliaga has called for the annulment of the country's recent presidential elections, alleging that widespread logistical failures constitute widespread fraud. The conservative leader of the Renovación Popular party made the demand on Tuesday following a Sunday vote that saw polling stations in Lima struggle to open due to a lack of materials.
According to reports from La Tercera, the candidate is currently positioned in second place in the preliminary results, trailing Keiko Fujimori of Fuerza Popular. Despite being on track for a runoff, López Alilegecia stated to the AFP news agency that the National Jury of Elections (JNE) must act to declare the entire process null.
Allegations of systemic failure
López Aliaga held a demonstration in front of the JNE headquarters, where he accused the head of the National Office of Electoral Processes (ONPE), Piero Corvetto, of theft. The candidate claimed that the delay in distributing electoral packages prevented a significant number of people from voting, which he believes skewed the results.
While López Aliaga suggested that up to 1.6 million voters were unable to cast ballots due to these delays, Cooperativa reported that the candidate has not yet provided physical evidence to support this specific figure. However, the candidate did claim to have observed specific polling stations where turnout dropped significantly.
"I can prove it. I have spent the whole day and night looking at tables that historically had 230 votes and now have 100 votes because the material arrived late," López Aliaga told supporters, according to Cooperativa. He further warned his followers to prepare for "civil insurgency" if the results are certified.
Official responses from electoral authorities present a different account of the disruptions. La Tercera reported that ONPE chief Piero Corvetto testified before Congress that the issues were "punctual errors" rather than structural failures. Corvetto noted that approximately 63,300 voters were unable to vote on the original Sunday and were forced to cast their ballots on Monday, April 14.
According to Corvetto, the primary difficulty involved the inability to distribute electoral packages on time to sectors in the west and south of the capital.
As of Tuesday afternoon, the full results remained unconfirmed. La Tercera noted that with 80% of the votes counted, Keiko Fujimori led with approximately 17%, while López Aliaga held second place with 12.5%. Several other candidates remain within striking distance of the runoff, including Jorge Nieto with 11.7% and Roberto Sánchez with 10.4%, according to La Tercera.
López Aliaga also criticized international observers, specifically the European Union and the Organization of American States (OAS), requesting that their missions leave the country after they declared the process transparent. He also criticized Keiko Fujimori for her silence regarding his allegations of fraud, as reported by Cooperativa.
