New investigation in Peru: Pedro Castillo takes 20 points ahead of Keiko Fujimori

The teacher and trade unionist Pedro Castillo maintains a comfortable lead in the polls of the presidential elections in Peru, with a 20 point difference over his rival, Keiko Fujimori, according to the survey published this Sunday by the Institute of Peruvian Studies and the newspaper The Republic.

The survey gave a 41.5% support for the left-wing candidate, almost double the 21.5% obtained by the right-wing leader. In turn, 21% said they plan to vote blank or overturn their vote, and 13% have yet to decide who they will support. Counting only valid votes, Castillo got 66% support, compared to Fujimori’s 34%.

Candidate Fuerza Popular has only a small advantage in Lima (31.4% against 29.3% for Castillo, in the technical draw), while Peru Libre candidate has an overwhelming majority in rural areas: 56.7% against 12.9% of his rival.

Fujimori, which must sweep Lima to maintain its competitiveness at the national level, is also weak in the populous region of the North, where it is down more than 20 points. In the center and south, traditionally more to the left, Castillo wins by more than 30 and 40 points respectively.

In the first round, held on April 11, Pedro Castillo and Keiko Fujimori obtained 18.92% and 13.40% of the votes, respectively, in an election that recorded a record turnout of 18 candidates. Both will be measured in the second round of elections, on June 6, and the winner will take office on July 28, when Peru’s bicentenary of independence is commemorated.

In a moderation of his campaign speech, Castillo, who seeks to rewrite the Constitution to give the state a more dominant role in the economy, has asserted in recent days that he will not nationalize businesses and respect legal rules. from the country. It is in the face of the series of warnings that one of its governments would impose a communist regime ideologically close to Chavismo.

Meanwhile, Fujimori is a controversial figure with a high anti-voting percentage, as her father was jailed for human rights violations in the 1990s and she herself was embroiled in corruption scandals. . The candidate, who says she will maintain the free market model in Peru, has promised to release the former president if she comes to power.

The country, currently in recession due to the pandemic, has suffered since 2016 from deep political instability due to successive institutional crises.

In other studies, pollster Datum reported this week that Castillo has 41% voting intention, while Keiko has reached 26% support. Previously, on Sunday 18, consultancy firm IPSOS showed 42% support for Castillo and 31% for Fujimori. However, a trend cannot be projected as these are different methodologies.

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