Peru Judge Sends Leftist Candidate to Oral Trial Days Before Runoff

Just two days before Peru’s fiercely contested presidential runoff, a Lima judge ordered leftist candidate Roberto Sánchez to stand trial on charges of falsifying his party’s financial declarations, a decision immediately denounced as politically timed by the contender. The ruling, handed down on Friday and announced by Sánchez himself on social media, does not prevent him from facing conservative rival Keiko Fujimori on Sunday, as his legal team has lodged an appeal and, if elected, he would enjoy constitutional immunity. “I don’t believe in coincidences,” Sánchez wrote in a message echoed by supporters across the country’s polarized landscape.

The case centres on allegations that Sánchez’s party submitted false information about contributions and funding between 2018 and 2020, years before his presidential bid. Over the course of two days, the judge held 15 hours of hearings, ultimately issuing the decision in just 15 minutes, according to the candidate. His campaign noted that other pending hearings were rescheduled to expedite his case, fuelling suspicions of a judicial manoeuvre to sway the election’s outcome. The written order, seen by local media, declared there was “merit to proceed to oral trial” against Sánchez, who has consistently denied the charges.

Viewed from regional capitals, the episode fits a broader pattern in Latin America where legal actions against opposition figures intensify in the run‑up to elections, often blurring the line between accountability and lawfare. The tight race between Sánchez, a former cabinet minister and congressman, and Fujimori — daughter of the imprisoned former autocrat Alberto Fujimori — is already deeply divisive. Both campaigns have traded accusations of corruption, and the judicial move risks reinforcing a narrative of institutional bias. Analysts in London note that while the court’s decision follows standard procedure, its timing inevitably raises questions, especially given Peru’s history of politicised tribunals.

Should Sánchez win the presidency, the constitution shields him from prosecution while in office, though the underlying investigation would not disappear; a successor administration could revive it. Conversely, a defeat would leave him exposed to a lengthy legal battle that could reshape Peru’s leftwing political landscape. For now, the candidate and his supporters head to the polls under the cloud of unresolved allegations, adding yet another layer of uncertainty to an already volatile election. As the Andean nation braces for a result that could turn on a knife’s edge, the case underscores the fragile interplay between justice and democracy in Latin America’s transitional polities.