Keiko Fujimori and Roberto Sánchez must star in a long-awaited television debate prior to the second round of the presidential elections on June 7. But first, surprising developments with high electoral impact could take place if a request for indictment of the Together for Peru candidate that the prosecutor’s office formalized hours ago is successful. Justice must define this week Whether or not Sánchez will be the subject of an oral trial for the crime of falsifying information about contributions when, five years ago, he was a member of Perú Libre, the formation of the deposed president Pedro Castillo. The alleged fraud would be of the order of 70.000 euros.
Sánchez recalled through social networks that the courts had already ruled out the existence of that accusation. “You cannot build a conviction on facts that have already been ruled out by justice itself. I demonstrated that I never made personal use of the party’s economic resources,” said Fujimori’s rival, whose eventual victory at the polls causes concern among the economic elite of that Andean country. “I reject having given false statements to ONPE (National Office of Electoral Processes), since as the party’s legal representative it was my responsibility to transfer information and official documentation to those entities.”
Carlos García Asenjo, the candidate’s defense lawyer, also challenged the prosecution’s attempt to sentence Sánchez to five years and 4 months in prison. If found guilty, the custodial sentence and disqualification from public office could be applied immediately. That could never happen before June 7.
The offensive against the standard-bearer of center-left sectors has not ceased even after his commitment not to substantially alter the economic model. This week, the police thwarted an attack against him during a rally on the outskirts of Lima.
According to the latest survey by the consulting firm DatumFujimori has a voting intention of 39.5%, three points more than Sánchez. The survey also shows that 15.9% would choose to vote blank or spoil their vote, and 8.5% do not specify their preference. In that strip the contest can be decided.
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