Far-left union leader takes in lead in Peru poll

Far-left union leader takes in lead in Peru poll

LIMA: A far-left union leader and teacher has taken a surprise, though slim, lead in Peru's presidential election, and will likely face a rightwing rival in a runoff in June, incomplete results showed Monday. With nearly 90 percent of ballots counted by Monday evening, leftist Pedro Castillo was in the lead with 18.83 percent-much higher than predicted by opinion polls which had not even placed him in the top five. He will likely square off on June 6 against corruption-accused Keiko Fujimori, a rightwing populist who has 13.21 percent, according to results released by the ONPE electoral office. It will be Fujimori's third shot at the top job.

Sunday's election, held in Peru's worst week of the coronavirus pandemic, saw no single candidate able to fire up crisis-weary voters and muster a decisive 51-percent majority. With the count not yet finalized, economist Hernando de Soto, and celibate staunch Catholic Rafael Lopez Aliaga-both on the right of the spectrum-remained hot on Fujimori's heels.

"The change and the struggle are just beginning,“ said 51-year-old Castillo, who was virtually unknown until 2017, when he led thousands of teachers in a protracted national strike that resulted in government compromise. He represents the small far-left Free Peru