Protests in Peru as tensions rise over voting for President | Election Issues

Pedro Castillo’s supporters want the election to take place, while Keiko Fujimori’s audience wants the vote to be abolished.

Socialist activists Pedro Castillo and Keiko Fujimori immovable took to the streets with thousands in Peru on Saturday, as tensions escalated over the June 6 presidential election.

Castillo, who received 50.125% of the vote with a margin of 44,058 votes, considered himself the winner.

Fujimori received 49.875% of the vote and said the election was rigged.

In the Peruvian capital, Lima, Castillo’s supporters gathered in the “2 de Mayo” stadium, calling for a left-wing candidate to be officially declared President-elect.

Fujimori supporters also staged protests in another part of the city demanding the re-run of the by-elections.

The Supreme Court is still reviewing the votes and will announce its victory.

“We will not allow them to ignore the general will, to ignore the outcome of the elections. We will defend democracy,” said Veronika Mendoza, a former chapter representative who attended a conference in Castillo.

Unfortunately, Mrs. “K” [Keiko Fujimori] it’s a hypocritical woman who doesn’t have to be president and has to accept her defeat because what wins here is democracy, the right vote for the people, “said Ruben, who is on Castillo’s show.

Officials around the world say there was no evidence of fraud and the election was rigged.

Pollster Ipsos Peru also said it had scrutinized the ballots and found no evidence of foreign ballot that would have benefited another candidate.

But Fujimori, the daughter of former President Alberto Fujimori, has not shown any remorse.

“We do not accept that our votes have been stolen,” he told supporters in Lima.

Peruvian vice president Keiko Fujimori addressing allies in Lima, Peru on June 19, 2021 [Gerardo Marin/ Reuters]

“We will lay down our lives for the world; it’s not about Keiko, it’s about Peru, it’s not about crime, it’s not about communism, “said Nancy Falla, who participated in the projectile conference.

The counting of votes is the culmination of a by-election in Peru, with many low-income citizens supporting Castillo while many rich people voted for Fujimori.

Opponents have promised various measures to save Peru from the economic crisis caused by the COVID-19 crisis.

The Andes is home to the world’s highest mortality rate, with a population of over 187,000 out of 33 million.

One million Peruvians have also lost their jobs during the epidemic, with nearly a third of the population living in poverty, according to government figures.

Fujimori, 46, has pledged to pursue free trade and economic stability, while 51-year-old Castillo pledges to reform the country’s laws to strengthen state power, play a major share in the mining industry, and Peru is the world’s second-largest copper producer. all over the world.