April 20, 2026.
Ricardo Belmont and Carlos Álvarez
Laws that led to electoral fragmentation, improvised candidates intended to distract, and the disregard for rural or inland votes achieved their goal: the “mafia pact” will dominate the Peruvian Senate.
Allegations of electoral fraud took hold from the very beginning among thousands of citizens, mostly supporters of Renovación Popular, who are demanding answers while Rafael López Aliaga leads a rebellion calling for the elections to be annulled entirely.
But the real plan is darker. It is not the fraud that politicians are denouncing. It is a trap meticulously planned over years. A strategy designed in the shadows. The problem is not limited to traditional fraud denounced by political actors, but rather to a structure developed since 2021 with a clear purpose: to keep the same groups in power.
In this scenario, figures like Ricardo Belmont and Carlos Álvarez appeared out of nowhere, without solid government plans or established parties, whose presence seemed to serve a tactical function rather than a genuine proposal. Both candidates managed to secure more than two million votes, with Belmont surpassing 11% and Álvarez reaching 7%. Their role would have been to split the moderate vote, preventing new alternatives from advancing to a runoff. The facts reinforce that suspicion: Belmont did not even show up to vote, and Álvarez announced his immediate withdrawal, leaving behind an electorate without representation.
The Institutional Mechanism of Disorder
The creation of this scenario was not improvised. Congress eliminated the primary elections, paving the way for a chaotic process with 36 presidential tickets that was designed to confuse the electorate. Added to this was a disproportionate, cumbersome, and impractical ballot that further complicated electoral logistics.
On April 12, thousands of people in Lima were unable to vote because the election materials never arrived on time. The Comptroller’s Office had already warned of serious delays days earlier, but the National Elections Board remained silent as the problem spiraled out of control. Amid this situation, political discourse also became more aggressive. López Aliaga adopted rhetoric that included attacks on voters from the provinces, even questioning the ability of rural voters to cast their ballots correctly.
The final prize: the Senate
Ultimately, the result has solidified the described objective: three parties already present in Congress—Fuerza Popular, Renovación Popular, and Juntos por el Perú—managed to consolidate power. With control of 60% of the new Senate, they will have the ability to shape laws to their advantage, despite having limited electoral support.
The fragmentation of the vote ultimately favored those who remained united. While the country fragmented into dozens of options, a small group secured its continued presence. Peruvian democracy faces one of its most critical moments, with an election that many feel was snatched from them right before their eyes.
Source: Resumen Latinoamericano