Awaiting an electoral defeat, the communist candidate Roberto Sánchez proposed to conduct a recount of votes

While the National Office of Electoral Processes (ONPE) continues the counting of the 2026 general election, the socialist candidate from Juntos por el Peru, Roberto Sánchez, proposed a complete recount of the votes and a thorough review of the records, an initiative that has raised questions for lacking, so far, concrete evidence to support alleged widespread irregularities.

With the official count still underway and a slight lead for Keiko Fujimori in the preliminary results, the former congressman publicly responded to the call for dialogue made by the leader of Fuerza Popular. However, far from helping to clear the uncertainty, his intervention focused on the need to review the electoral process again, despite the fact that electoral authorities have not reported significant anomalies that would justify such a measure.

During a press conference, Sánchez stated that he agrees with Fujimori's call for consensus and respect for electoral legitimacy. However, he conditioned any political rapprochement on the conduct of additional verifications and the participation of international observers in a comprehensive review of the process.

''Mrs. Keiko Fujimori is right: she has invited us to a dialogue, to a consensus, and to a sacred respect for the legitimacy and transparency of this process,'' declared the candidate. He then proposed that both sectors jointly request a recount of all votes cast in the presidential election.

The proposal drew attention because it was made without presenting specific evidence to support the existence of fraud or systematic irregularities capable of altering the outcome. Instead, Roberto Sánchez referred to ''presumed indications'' of a lack of transparency, a phrase that various observers interpreted as insufficient to justify a total review of the electoral process.

The leftist candidate also maintained that there are mutual questions between both campaigns regarding certain sectors of the electorate. He claimed that Fuerza Popular would be seeking to challenge votes from the south of the country, while his political space has raised doubts about the voting recorded in Lima and among Peruvians living abroad.

''They want to annul our votes from the south. We are hinting at irregularities in Lima and, particularly, as they have substantiated, due to the voting of Peruvians abroad,'' he pointed out.

His statements were received with caution as they could contribute to instilling suspicions about the electoral process at a time when the electoral body continues to carry out the official count according to the procedures established by law. Analysts and political sectors have repeatedly warned about the risk of eroding public trust in democratic institutions through allegations that are not accompanied by verifiable evidence.

Unlike other electoral processes in the region where significant irregularities have been documented, no official reports have been released so far to support the need for a national recount. Therefore, some sectors believe that Sánchez's insistence could be interpreted more as a political strategy in the face of an adverse scenario than as a response to proven problems in the voting.

The candidate attempted to present his initiative as a formula to reduce post-election tensions and ensure that the final result is accepted by all political actors. He explained that a thorough review would allow to close any space for future questioning and provide greater certainty to the country.

''I am convinced that this joint action, regardless of who wins, resulting from a process of zero controversy, of total transparency, with the record put before the eyes of thirty-five million Peruvians, unassailable, will allow us to give Peru stability and certainty,'' he affirmed.

Meanwhile, the ONPE continues processing the pending records to officially determine who will occupy the presidency of Peru. With the margin between the candidates still tight, the outcome continues to depend on the progress of the official count, while the debate grows over the advisability of raising general questions about the process without conclusive evidence to support them.