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Peru Finalizes Unprecedented Six-Day Presidential Debates With 36 Candidates

The crowded format underscores a fragmented race heading to an April 12 first round with more than 27 million eligible voters.

Overview

  • Electoral authorities set 12 candidates per night from March 23 to April 1, divided into four groups of three to debate security, corruption, education and employment.
  • The March 23 session will start at 8 p.m. at the Centro de Convenciones de Lima, moderated by journalists Claudia Chiroque and Fernando Carvallo, and is slated to run about 90 minutes.
  • A public draw set the March 23 groupings, including a final trio of José Williams, Rafael López Aliaga and Álex Gonzales, with López Aliaga scheduled to deliver the closing statement.
  • The JNE confirmed in-person participation only, barring virtual appearances or substitutes, a rule that affects candidates such as Vladimir Cerrón, who faces an arrest order.
  • If no candidate tops 50% on April 12, a June 7 runoff is scheduled, and recent polling cited by Datum places Rafael López Aliaga in the lead with roughly 13% support.