In the presidential race, a debate was held yesterday, Sunday, May 31, between the two candidates who advanced to the runoff election for the presidency of the Republic of Peru: Keiko Fujimori (Fuerza Popular party) and Roberto Sánchez (Juntos por el Perú party). The candidates outlined their main governing strategies on key issues for the population: Public Safety, Strengthening the Democratic State and Human Rights; Education and Health, the Economy, Employment, and Poverty Reduction.
Why should I be president of Peru?
In the first round, candidate Keiko Fujimori outlined the effects of the country’s socioeconomic crisis (including public insecurity, insufficient wages, fear of extortion, poor healthcare, etc.) and emphasized that the country must not repeat the “formula that already failed in 2021.” “Order or chaos are the two options the country faces. Our country needs to be put in order, not destroyed as proposed by the Castillo–Sanchez–Antauro ticket. We have a major difference: we have managed to build a team with the experience and capacity to solve these problems,” she stated at the outset.
In turn, Roberto Sanchez highlighted his humble origins and his family’s ancestral values, noting, “I will not let my people down; I am a man of faith. I have served as a minister; I have worked my entire life. I understand the public’s distrust of politicians, and they are absolutely right, but we cannot lose hope. I know Peru’s needs because I have been trained for this. Let’s build a better future together. Together we will work to save our democracy from the clutches of those who have held the country hostage for more than 10 years, subverted the justice system—and they are Fuerza Popular and Ms. Keiko Fujimori. Fellow citizens, together we will restore democracy for all Peruvians.”
Team and Strategies
Both candidates highlighted the technical team that will accompany them in a potential administration, whose members possess significant expertise in various strategic fields. Among the key figures are Luis Carranza and Pedro Francke (economy), Carlos Neuhaus and Gustavo Guerra García (infrastructure), Sinecio Lopez and Vladimiro Huarocc (state reform), among others; these individuals faced off in a first debate last week.
Amid exchanges and accusations regarding the country’s current state, the two candidates presented proposals on the issue of security: “National Pacification Plan, use of the Armed Forces at the borders” (Fuerza Popular); while Juntos por el Perú emphasized “cleaning up and professionalizing the National Police, eliminating pro-crime laws.” To strengthen the democratic state and human rights, emphasis was placed on “referendums and decentralization” (Together for Peru) and “infrastructure projects such as roads” (Fuerza Popular).
In education and health, “telemedicine, funding for high-cost diseases, school support programs (breakfasts)” (Fuerza Popular) and “budget for scholarships, one psychologist per school” (Juntos por el Perú); while in the economy, “more funding for the Juntos Program, industrialization of the country” (Juntos por el Perú) and “zero taxation for micro and small enterprises and access to soft loans” (Fuerza Popular).
In closing, Keiko Fujimori acknowledged mistakes in her political career. She asked for the opportunity to govern, while Roberto Sánchez called for a consensus to defeat Fujimorism and transform the country with justice and equity.
