the vote for Keiko Fujimori, between the fear of Pedro Castillo, the nostalgia of the heavy hand and liberalism

From the great businessman frightened by “communism” and “terrorism”, to the nostalgic for the heavy hand of his father, to the extreme liberal and to the right-wing voter who had turned his back on him and back to her resignedThus, the electorate of Keiko Fujimori is diverse but numerous.

The daughter and political heiress of former President Alberto Fujimori (1990-2000) mainly found in these voter profiles the springboard that can lead you to be the first woman to chair Peru on its third attempt, after losing the previous two elections in the second round.

As tough as it sounds after reaping huge unpopularity due to the constant obstructionism he has promoted against the Congressional government and the demand for over 30 years in prison he faces for alleged money laundering in his electoral campaigns, Fujimori managed to regain some ground.

At the start of the electoral process, he had an “anti-vote” of 72% of Peruvians who said they would never vote for her, something which managed to reduce days after the second round to 45%, against 41% of her rival, the leftist Pedro Castillo.

As happened in the previous elections, the big businessmen are with Fujimori, and this time again, driven by a campaign of fear of communism and terrorism who think Peru will sweep away if Castillo wins, which is reflected in the millionaires’ propaganda campaigns against his opponent.

“We have already achieved this. We are going to get out of this threat,” a businessman from Lima told Efe who did not want to be identified when he saw that the latest polls reflects a technical tie for both candidates in the absence of a week for the vote.

Nostalgic

Even in the worst of times, Fujimori has always had a pillar sector, especially nostalgic for the reign of their father, whom they consider to be the best president in recent Peruvian history, and whose “strong hand” they appreciate.

For this “hard vote” made up of 8 to 10% of Peruvians who vote for it at all costs, Fujimori promised “demodura” (democracy at hand), in addition to freeing the patriarch of the family, who at 82 continues to serve a 25-year prison sentence for crimes against humanity and corruption.

Among the most loyal voters is Julián Ángeles, for whom “they will have to spend several decades so that Fujimori’s contribution can be seen in its full extent, ”he told Efe.

“I believe he made a difference. We had astronomical inflation, terrorism and conflict with Ecuador. I experienced terrorism and I saved this with Fujimori who could be pacified. Unfortunately, now we are in a situation that It has the same connotations and it terrifies me“asserted Angela.

“Just like his father Alberto did, I think Keiko could do it now too. For me, there is a similarity to that time because we are also facing a serious economic situation and insecurity. convinced that Keiko could turn the tide. I insist on the economic part“he added.

The resigning

There are few who will vote for Fujimori reluctantly, because many of those who supported her in the 2016 election were disappointed with her recent behavior, especially when she controlled Congress with an absolute majority and was a very obstructionist opposition to the government.

These voters opted for other right-wing options in the first round, but now they are forced to vote Fujimori again because, in any case, they plan to do it for Castillo.

This is the case of Diego Valdés, a young Peruvian who assured Efe to have been “very critical” towards Fujimori but now sees in him the only way to save yourself from “communism”.

“Despite this, I recognize the serious situation in which we find ourselves as a country and it is unthinkable to give the vote to what Peru Libre represents, which it’s only communism. In this situation, I consider it appropriate and even necessary to vote for Keiko, ”Valdés explained.

Peruvians who had never done so before will also vote for her, mostly free-market advocates, like writer Mario Vargas Llosa and his son lvaro, Fujimori’s bitter enemies for 30 years so far, when the Nobel Prize was lost to Fujimori in the 1990 elections.

Although they have always called for voting against the Fujimori, this time they supported them because they believe that democracy can be better defended de Keiko than de Castillo, which promises a Constituent Assembly and nationalizes natural resources.

“I want to believe in Keiko Fujimori”, asserted last week in an interview with Efe Álvaro Vargas Llosa, which gives him the benefit of the doubt not to break democracy like his father did in 1992 when he gave a “self-kick” of the ‘State, since it is certain that it will maintain the liberal economic model.

The big unknown that will not be resolved until June 6 is whether all these supports will be enough to overcome that of Castillo, supported mainly by the popular classes, unhappy that the economic system has not closed huge social gaps and lifted them out of poverty.

EFE Agency

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