Today, 11 April 2021 , Peruvians will vote for their President. If no candidate gets the majority of votes, the top-two will compete in a runoff on 6 June 2021. The population will also vote today for the country’s two Vice Presidents and 130 members of Congress.
The most important candidates are Verónika Mendoza, a liberal who supports legal abortion and same sex-marriage; George Forsyth, nicknamed “Goalie” is a former goalkeeper for Alianza Lima FC who runs on a law and order agenda; Pedro Castillo, a union man and anti-neoliberal who wants to bring about changes in the constitution in order to facilitate nationalization and other changes in the economy; Hernando De Soto, a free market economist who is considered one of the most important thinkers of his time; Keiko Fujimori, a far-right business administrator and politician against whom prosecutors have filed corruption charges; Rafael López Aliaga nicknamed “Porky”, far-right, member of the extremist fringe cult-like Catholic group, Opus Dei, he’s a firm believer of wild conspiracies and has admitted to “whipping himself often as punishment in order to suppress sexual desires” and Yonhy Lescano, a populist candidate who wants to deglobalize Peru’s economy through protection measures and import substitution.
The stage is set. Truly a diverse electoral menu. The stakes are high though considering Peru is one of the hardest hit by the COVID pandemic, worsened income disparities and corruption cases currently being considered in the courts.
Willemstad, Curaçao
Alex David Rosaria Blog 