Ultraconservative candidate Rafael Lopez Aliaga said on Friday (May 8) that he will not recognize the official results of the first round of elections held nearly a month ago, amid a delayed vote count — now almost complete — that places him third in the race.

Lopez Aliaga, who trails leftist Roberto Sanchez by a narrow margin, also said that if the results are announced in the coming days, as the electoral authority has said, he will call for protests against what he describes as "fraud" that harmed his bid to reach next month's runoff.

The final results of the April 12 elections remain unclear and the vote count is still incomplete — with nearly 99% of ballots counted so far — as no clear rival has yet emerged to face conservative frontrunner Keiko Fujimori in the second round scheduled for June 7.

Logistical problems on the day of the first round led to long delays at polling stations. The slow vote count that followed, caused by the review of thousands of challenged ballots, prompted Lopez Aliaga's complaint.

DESCRIPCIÓN DE IMÁGENES

IMA, PERU (MAY 8, 2026) (REUTERS – Access all)

1. ULTRACONSERVATIVE CANDIDATE RAFAEL LOPEZ ALIAGA ARRIVING AT NEWS CONFERENCE

2. LOPEZ ALIAGA AT CONFERENCE

3. (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) RIGHT-WING PRESIDENTIAL HOPEFUL, RAFAEL LOPEZ ALIAGA, SAYING:

"I'm stating my position in advance—if the results continue this way, we will not recognize them. It will be an illegitimate, false government imposed by a dictatorship based at the ONPE (Peruvian electoral body), where the same people remain who have brought about this plan.”

4. PRESS CONFERENCE IN PROGRESS

5. (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) RIGHT-WING PRESIDENTIAL HOPEFUL, RAFAEL LOPEZ ALIAGA, SAYING:

"Then, this brings us to an international complaint that a coup is being carried out in Peru, a coup against democracy. Here, the ones putting presidents in power in Peru are a mafia led by Mr. (Piero) Corvetto (ed's note: former head of the ONPE) and also the accomplices of Mr. (Roberto) Burneo (ed's note: president of the electoral authority National Jury of Elections) and his entire senior council of the National Jury of Elections."

6. PRESS CONFERENCE IN PROGRESS

7. (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) RIGHT-WING PRESIDENTIAL HOPEFUL, RAFAEL LOPEZ ALIAGA, SAYING:

"They're imposing a second round with two people who are not legitimate. There is no transparency in the process."

8. ALIAGA LEAVING CONFERENCE

LIMA, PERU (ARCHIVE – MARCH 19, 2026) (RENOVACION POPULAR PARTY – Access all)

9. VARIOUS OF ALIAGA ON STAGE GREETING SUPPORTERS DURING RALLY