LAHUAYTAMBO, PERU, June 16 - High in the Andes, about 70 km from Lima and perched at nearly 3,400 meters (11,000 feet), the mountain district of Lahuaytambo returned an exact tie in Peru's presidential runoff, underscoring a broader national polarization. In the June 7 vote, 181 residents cast ballots for conservative Keiko Fujimori and an equal number, 181, supported leftist Roberto Sanchez. The local stalemate echoes the national contest, where official tallies under review show Fujimori with a slim advantage of 50.05% against Sanchez’s 49.95%.
Remote and physically distant from the capital, Lahuaytambo sits in Huarochiri province and remains a lengthy journey from Lima, with most of the route a winding dirt road susceptible to landslides. That isolation translates into political distance as well: for many residents the debates and turmoil of Lima are secondary to questions of immediate local benefit - who will deliver paved roads, a reliable water reservoir or improved pensions.
Local voting patterns in Lahuaytambo reveal sharp individual divergences within households and among neighbors. Jonathan Javier Medina, 29, a farmer and father of two, said he chose Fujimori because he believes she shows concern for the region's poor. "I voted for Keiko because I think she cares more about poor people in the mountains," he said, adding that he expects policies that will support agriculture.
Medina’s wife, Enma Zabaleta, took the opposite view and backed Sanchez. "(I voted for Sanchez) to see if there’s a change in this town, to see if he fulfills the promises he made," she said, voicing hopes for road paving and other infrastructure investments. Their split captures the wider uncertainty and mixed expectations that prevail across the town.
Among older residents, other motivations appeared. Francisca Pumayauli, 81, and Yolanda Ramirez, 76, who spend afternoons together in the town square, said they supported Fujimori because they felt she would assist both children and the elderly. Shopkeepers on the main street, however, leaned toward Sanchez. Sebastian Davila cited distrust in Fujimori rooted in her lengthy public profile - from her time as first lady under her father, former President Alberto Fujimori, to multiple presidential campaigns and service in Congress. "There’s something about that, for me, that I don’t like," Davila said.
Luz Zavaleta, another local merchant, described Sanchez as a potential break from past patterns. As a first-time presidential contender, Sanchez represented, in her view, a candidate who might deliver on promises. "I know what Keiko says, she’s been running (for president) for a long time and the people don’t want her," she said. "I voted for Sanchez because it is his first time and he is a man who might actually fulfill everything he is saying."
Despite divergent choices, many residents converge on a common assessment: Lahuaytambo has been largely neglected by central government, and expectations that national politics will bring rapid change are low. That pervasive disenchantment helps explain why the runoff margins, both locally and nationally, are so narrow.
"The slim margins we’re seeing is due to the growing citizen disenchantment with politics, politicians and parties," said Paula Munoz, a political scientist at Peru’s Pacific University. She noted that Fujimori and Sanchez together secured less than 30% of the vote in the first round, a statistic that reflects broad voter dissatisfaction with the available choices. "We can’t forget that a majority isn’t happy with either of the two, so it forces you to pick between two candidates that the most voters didn’t like," Munoz added.
Underlying the voting patterns is a stark urban-rural disparity. Nearly a third of Peru’s roughly 35 million inhabitants live in the Lima metropolitan area, a region that occupies a small portion of the country’s territory but concentrates a large share of investment, infrastructure and political sway. Lima accounts for about half of the country’s economic output, while Andean rural areas continue to experience markedly higher poverty rates. This imbalance has repeatedly shaped national elections.
The same rural grievances that elevated Pedro Castillo, a former schoolteacher from a rural background, to victory over Fujimori in 2021 are visible in Lahuaytambo, where residents previously supported Castillo. His presidency, however, was truncated amid corruption allegations, sharp conflicts with Congress and his attempt to dissolve the legislature in 2022, which led to his removal. Many in Lahuaytambo see Sanchez as aligned with Castillo’s political style and priorities.
Fujimori’s Popular Force party played a consequential role in the Congress that confronted Castillo, and analysts observe that if Fujimori returns to the presidency she would face a similarly fragmented political environment. Her narrow lead in the current tally is attributed in part to voter concerns about crime and to a campaign built on greater experience and resources.
Memories of past interactions with the Fujimori name remain vivid in the town. Hugo Pumayauli recalled when his father remembered visits from Alberto Fujimori and the distribution of rice, lentils and fish - an image that still resonates for some older voters. This campaign saw a reappearance of T-shirts and posters tied to Fujimori’s run, reviving those recollections and expectations of material assistance.
Yet not all residents welcome short-term giveaways. Hugo Pumayauli emphasized the need for sustainable investments. "Since her father gave out fish, some think she will do the same," he said, but he questioned the value of temporary handouts. "I’ll have something to eat now, but what about tomorrow?" he asked, calling instead for long-term projects such as a water reservoir to support agriculture and secure livelihoods.
In a town split exactly down the middle, the tension between immediate relief and enduring development crystallizes the wider national dilemma. Whoever becomes Peru’s next president will confront entrenched regional disparities, low trust in political institutions and local demands that center on infrastructure, water, and economic support for rural communities.
Article note: Ballots in the national runoff remain under review and the percentages cited reflect official tallies as reported while the count is ongoing.