Petro Declares Peru's Left Won Before Votes Counted, Draws Backlash
With Peru's National Office of Electoral Processes (ONPE) showing an absolute tie, Petro prematurely congratulated Sanchez and proclaimed the defeat of conservative candidate Keiko Fujimori, instantly drawing scrutiny given his long and turbulent history with Lima.
"Progressivism has just won the Peruvian presidency and defeated the country's most extreme right-wing force, represented by the Fujimori family," Petro posted on his account on the US social media company X.
The Colombian leader was reacting to an unverified social media post that treated Sanchez's victory in Sunday's high-stakes runoff as a foregone conclusion.
Petro went further, framing the contested result as a direct "vindication" of imprisoned former Peruvian President Pedro Castillo. Sanchez, a congressman and former minister, campaigned as the political protege and standard-bearer of the jailed ex-leader.
Castillo was ousted by Peru's Congress on December 7, 2022, after a failed self-coup in which he announced the dissolution of the legislature and declared a state of emergency to govern by decree. Following his arrest, Vice President Dina Boluarte assumed power — a transition the Petro administration has steadfastly refused to recognize.
Petro's outspoken championing of Castillo had previously plunged bilateral relations into crisis, ultimately culminating in the Peruvian Congress declaring the Colombian president persona non grata.
Undeterred, Petro announced Monday he intended to circumvent the current Lima government entirely to rebuild ties.
"I will fully restore diplomatic relations and ask the new president to begin merging the Andean Pact with Mercosur," Petro wrote.
Yet while Petro proclaimed an outright victory for the political left, official figures told a far more ambiguous story. According to the latest ONPE bulletin, with 93.77% of polling stations processed, Keiko Fujimori of Fuerza Popular held a marginal lead with 50.01% of the vote, against Sanchez's 49.99% — a gap of just 4,000 votes, or less than 0.02%.
Electoral chief Roberto Burneo appealed for patience and political responsibility, cautioning that a definitive outcome could take up to 30 days as contested and overseas ballots make their way to Lima.
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