Roberto Sánchez Palomino secured second place in Peru’s April 12, 2026 first-round presidential election through strong rural and southern support that lifted his share to roughly 12 percent as final tallies were completed. Official counts from the National Office of Electoral Processes placed him narrowly ahead of Rafael López Aliaga after a month-long tabulation, confirming advancement to the June 7 runoff against Keiko Fujimori. Traders assign near-certainty to Sánchez because the margin has held above 15,000 votes with more than 99 percent of ballots certified. The outcome reflects consolidation of leftist and anti-establishment voters behind the Juntos por el Perú candidate despite legal proceedings against him. Remaining uncertainty centers on any final procedural challenges by trailing campaigns before the Jurado Nacional de Elecciones issues its definitive proclamation.