Peru votes in razor-close runoff shaped by crime fears and instability

Peruvians voted Sunday in a tightly contested presidential runoff between conservative Keiko Fujimori and leftist Roberto Sánchez after a campaign dominated by surging crime, extortion and years of political upheaval. Polls showed the two candidates effectively tied heading into the vote. Fujimori, making her fourth runoff bid, campaigned on a hard-line security agenda and free-market policies, while Sánchez pushed constitutional change, more rural investment and an overhaul of mining concessions. The election follows a period in which Peru has cycled through multiple presidents and seen protests tied to rising violence. Polls opened at 7 a.m. local time and closed at 5 p.m., with initial results expected within hours, though the final official tally may take much longer.