Pedro Castillo Virtual President of Peru

With only 1.29 percent of the ballots still to be counted, the official figures of the electoral ballot today confirmed Pedro Castillo as practical winner of the Peruvian presidency.

An official report stated at the beginning of the day that Castillo has 50.20 percent of the votes and his neoliberal rival, Keiko Fujimori, 49.74, without the votes of Peruvians living abroad, on which his rival trusted, would reverse the contest.

‘According to the report of our representatives, to the official count of the party, the people have won this victory, which we salute’, said last night the candidate of the Peru Libre party, while asking not to fall into provocation.

In an address from the balcony of his party’s premises, he therefore called on his followers to remain vigilant but calm and without falling into provocations.

Assuming the role of president-elect, he also said that he will make ‘a government that respects democracy, the current Constitution. We will make a government with financial and economic stability’ and said that moments before he talked ‘with the businessmen’ showing the people’s support.

According to the count of the National Office of Electoral Processes (ONPE), Castillo has 71, 764 votes more than Fujmori and reaches a total of 8. 735 448, while his rival reaches 8. 663 684.

The candidate of the pro-Fujimori party Fuerza Popular (FP) for the first vice-presidency, Luis Galarreta, confirmed the insinuations of fraud attributed to Peru Libre and confirmed that his representatives, with the support of a dozen private law firms, will fight against the alleged fraud.