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On a more than 10 hour election day, Peruvians went to the polls to elect their new president; however, the campaign will be extended until June 6 with the second-round runoff.
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Leftist professor Pedro Castillo is leading the first round of elections with 16.1 percent of the votes.
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Castillo is followed by candidate Hernando de Soto and former dictator Alberto Fujimori's daughter Keiko Fujimori, who are tied with 11,9 percent of the votes.
The uncertain outlook is given by the political crisis and corruption scandals that have shaken the country in recent months.
According to national polls, six nominees could advance to the second round of elections scheduled for June.
Amid the COVID-19 pandemic and social distancing measures, such initiatives to comply with tradition seem at their best extravagant. Yet, if any of them thought of holding back, indeed it was not Avanza País candidate Hernando de Soto who met with his supporters at a restaurant in the capital Lima.
The country is looking for a president who will last in office after four in the last four and a half years failed to finish their mandates.
Perú is again facing a complex general election, in the context of perhaps the worst political economic and health crisis in decades. The spectacular loss of popular credibility in the political establishment is mirrored in the amount of presidential hopefuls: 18 of them, of which polls show nothing less than five in technical tie. Abstention from voting is expected to run high.
This region has yet to resolve issues related to persistent inequality, forced labor, low productivity, and limited social protection coverage.
On Saturday, Congress might call a session to analyze illegal vaccinations involving former President Martin Vizcarra and other ex-top officials.
Given that none of the 18 candidates will win the presidency this Sunday, the country is likely to hold a second round of elections on June 6.
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