The results of Peru’s presidential election are about to be confirmed after human rights activist Keiko Fujimori falsely criticized the enemy’s party, calling for 200,000 votes to be announced and another 300,000 to be scrutinized.
If his request is met, the decision could be in his favor, taking the victory from his best friend Pedro Castillo. This, in turn, could lead to his demonstrations moving down the street.
At a press conference Wednesday night, Fujimori and his lawyers said they found evidence of signatures at more than 500 polling stations along with many other irregularities, condemning them at the Castillo party, Free Peru.
“There are 500,000 votes playing here, half a million votes worldwide, and we think it is important that they are checked before the final count,” Fujimori said. “There is clear evidence that the Free Peruvian state is destroying itself.”
Miguel Torres, Fujimori’s lawyer, said his Popular Force party “will not throw in the towel” and will “fight until the final vote”. “The people of Peru feel that their votes are being stolen, and we will not allow this,” he said.
The lawsuit, filed in Peru by the Electoral Commission, was completed on Sunday. The results show Castillo won by 50.2% to Fujimori by 49.8, with a margin of only 72,000 votes. The only lengths left to calculate are the few that have already been asked.
Fujimori’s false accusations are supposed to escalate the controversy after the former a bitter campaign among opponents from the political ends. Castillo is a former elementary school teacher from a poor village in the northern Andes, while Fujimori, a three-time presidential candidate, comes from the political establishment of Lima, the daughter of former president Alberto Fujimori.
Castillo wants to turn Peru’s economy back, saying it has failed the poor, while Fujimori is a strong defender.
Financial markets are eagerly awaiting the final outcome. Currency, sol, plus Peruvian stocks and bonds are available they all fell in the last few weeks in anticipation of Castillo’s success, while other wealthy Peruvians are struggling to get their money out of the country.
Fujimori followers gather in Lima Wednesday © REUTERS
When preliminary results came On Saturday night, all elected candidates marched on the streets to celebrate what they said was a win-win situation in which their opponents were accused of trying to steal votes. There were minor disputes in Lima. From then on, Castillo and Fujimori appealed for calm and urged their camps to wait patiently for the end to come.
A few minutes after the Fujimori press conference on Wednesday, Castillo sent another message reassuring his followers.
“Let’s not just avoid getting angry with those who want to see this country in turmoil,” he said he wrote on Twitter.
