Perus Presidential Election Sees Pro-Trump Candidate Fall Behind

Peru’s Presidential Election Sees Trump-Backed Candidate Struggle

Lima, Peru - A total of 35 candidates are competing in the country’s presidential election on Sunday. One candidate, Rafael Lopez Aliaga, has been seen as a frontrunner since August due to his far-right campaign and ties to Donald Trump.

According to an Ipsos poll released last week, Lopez Aliaga has fallen to 7% of voter intent, with Keiko Fujimori’s platform bearing no mention of Trump’s ambitions in Latin America. Fujimori’s foreign policy would be based exclusively on national interest, according to her campaign.

Benjamin Gedan, director of the Latin America programme at the Stimson Center, notes that Trump’s aggressive foreign policy has diminished his appeal in the region. Gedan points to Trump’s embrace of the 19th-century Monroe Doctrine as one of his more controversial stances.

A recent poll by the Institute of Peruvian Studies found that 48% of Peruvians distrust the US government, with concerns about its rival, China, being lower than those towards the US. However, Peru’s election is not a referendum on Trump, who has yet to endorse Lopez Aliaga or any other candidate.

The US president has been largely ignored in the race, which has focused on domestic issues. Candidates have discussed crime and corruption as their top concerns, with some expressing skepticism about the ability of foreign leaders to address these problems.

Gonzalo Banda, a Peruvian political analyst, notes that foreign policy was not an election issue this year, despite Trump’s increased activity in Latin America. The Peruvian government has faced scrutiny over its decision to opt for US-made F-16 fighter jets instead of Swedish Gripen models.

Source: Al Jazeera