Peruvian right-wing presidential candidate Rafael Lopez Aliaga gathered hundreds of supporters in Lima on Tuesday to demand the annulment of the first round of the country's recent election. The candidate has given authorities a 24-hour window to invalidate the results following allegations of widespread fraud, according to reports from France 24.
Lopez Aliaga, a prominent supporter of former US President Donald Trump, addressed a crowd of demonstrators to voice his opposition to the current vote count. The movement comes as the tally remains extremely close between several key contenders.
A tight race for the runoff
The election results have left the nation in a state of uncertainty. Lopez Aliaga is currently locked in a tight three-way race for second place in Sunday's vote, competing against both a leftist candidate and a social democrat.
Under the current electoral rules, the runner-up from the first round secures a spot in the presidential run-off scheduled for June. This second round would see the runner-up face conservative frontrunner Keiko Fujimori.
The outlet reported that the candidate's demand for a vote annulment is a direct response to the narrow margins and claims of irregularities in the counting process. The 24-hour ultimatum issued by Lopez Aliaga has placed intense pressure on the electoral authorities to address the allegations of fraud immediately.
