Peru to hold last Presidential debate before election

The last debate before the June 6 Peruvian presidential runoff election between Pedro Castillo and Keiko Fujimori will be held today.

The debate will focus on the pandemic, economy, education, corruption, and social policies.

Castillo, the left-of-center Free Peru nominee, is a schoolteacher and has promised to levy higher taxes on the mining sector. Fujimori, the right-of-center Popular Force nominee, is the daughter of former Peruvian President Alberto Fujimori and has promised to promote free-market economic policies and security. Polls show a virtual tie between the two, with Castillo enjoying a slight lead but still within the margin of error of Fujimori’s numbers.

Expect this to be a very close election, with Castillo winning by no more than a percentage point. Peru is deeply polarized politically, and the election results could be accompanied by violence, as seen this week. Because the country’s legislature is so fragmented and mostly controlled by centrist parties, it is unlikely that either candidate will fulfill their campaign promises; the victor will have to appeal to more centrist interests to build coalitions and pass policies.

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