Pedro Castillo seems set to be the next President of Peru.
In a very tight race, Castillo emerged victorious over Keiko Fujimori, the daughter of controversial President Alberto Fujimori (whom many have described as a dictator).
Castillo, a relative political unknown before the presidential race, has vowed to make significant changes in the South American country and campaigned on a platform of increasing taxes on mining companies.
Castillo, a teacher by profession, surprised many when he won the most votes in the first round of voting, securing just shy of 19%. Fujimori, with 13.4%, came second in a crowded field of 16 other candidates.
In the second-round runoff Castillo beat Fujimori by 60 000 votes out of nearly 18 million cast, with Castillo winning 50.1% and Fujimori 49.9%.
Fujimori has claimed that there was rigging but the Organisation of American States, a regional club, has said that it found no evidence of ‘serious irregularities’.
Castillo’s success in the first round shook Peruvian markets and saw the Peruvian currency lose value. It remains to be seen how the markets will react now that Castillo has emerged victorious in the second round.
Castillo previously praised the Venezuelan regime but subsequently changed tack saying that there was no ‘Chavismo’ in Peru. He called on Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro to take back refugees that had fled to Peru from his collapsing country.
Image by David Peterson from Pixabay