Keiko Fujimori confirms growth and closes gap with Pedro Castillo in the runoff in Peru

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – With less than a month to go before the runoff election in Peru, the gap between Pedro Castillo and Keiko Fujimori has narrowed to 3 points. Free Peru’s candidate reaches 44%, while the daughter of ex-president Alberto Fujimori climbs to 41%, according to Datum’s first simulation poll. Meanwhile, 8% of respondents said that they will vote blank.

By regions, Datum’s survey showed that Castillo is the favorite in central and southern Peru, with 63% and 65% respectively. Fujimori leads in Lima, in the north and in the east of the country, with 50%, 45% and 43%, respectively. This marks a difference from what was shown in previous polls, where the leftist candidate had an advantage in the majority of the national territory.

Another important fact revealed by the survey is that 72% of respondents have already decided on their vote. This number increased, given that in early May only 58% had decided. In addition, the percentage of undecided voters has also decreased in recent weeks.

The simulation poll conducted by Datum involved men and women aged between 18 and 70 years from all economic levels, considering urban and rural areas. The error margin is between 2 and 8% and the reliability level is 95%. The survey was conducted between May 12 and 13.

The Popular Force and Free Peru parties agreed to participate in two debates organized by the National Jury of Elections (JNE).

The JNE announced that the legal representatives of both political parties attended a session summoned by the electoral body and reached a consensus to hold two meetings, the details of which will be defined this Friday in another session.

The agreement between the parties was reached after three unsuccessful attempts, which showed discrepancies before the JNE’s initial proposal to call four debates before the presidential runoff: two between Castillo and Fujimori, one of technical teams and another of vice presidents.

According to what Free Peru’s media team announced on social networks, a debate in Lima and another one in a province were finally defined, where the presidential candidates and their technical teams will measure strengths.

Parallel debates

Fujimori and Castillo have already faced each other on May 1 in a street and improvised duel that went down in history for being the second presidential debate held outside Lima and the first in a rural area.

The meeting, organized in record time and parallel to the debates to be held by the JNE, occurred in the northern city of Chota, the homeland of the Free Peru candidate.

Also on the sidelines of the appointments called by the electoral body, the two presidential candidates challenged each other to hold a second debate next Saturday, May 15, at the gates of the Santa Monica penitentiary in Lima, where Fujimori has been imprisoned on two occasions.

Although the proposal for this second date was announced last Friday by Castillo, the candidate himself ruled out on Monday that he would attend. “We already have a whole agenda with the Peruvian people, with the squares, with the organizations and at this moment I have a meeting with one of the political parties,” he said.

For her part, Fujimori assured that she will wait for her opponent outside the prison to “continue these debates that the Peruvian people are waiting for.”

“I will wait for him on Saturday at 3 PM. We will see if he dares to show up,” she challenged.

Source: Infobae