A few months before the 2026 General Elections, more than 45% of Peruvians have not yet defined their vote and are seeking information about the candidates in the race. In this context, after reviewing the sworn statements presented by the candidates of the different political organizations, La República identified that various candidates have 485 sentences.
The registration was made among the candidates for deputies, senators and the Andean parliament. The sentences are civil and criminal. The first type includes family, alimony, labor and contractual sentences; while in the second group they are for corruption crimes such as embezzlement, incompatible negotiation, fraud, common danger, against public faith, illicit appropriation and even intentional injuries.
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Parties with the highest sentences: Alliance for Progress, Fuerza Popular and Podemos Peru
After the review on the Electoral Platform portal, it was verified that the party that has the most candidates with sentences in their past is Alianza para el Progreso (APP) of César Acuña. The political organization has 53 candidates with convictions: 32 of them belong to those who aspire to deputies, 1 to the Andean Parliament and 20 to senators.
The second on the list is Fuerza Popular of Keiko Fujimori with 32. The Fujimori party has 21 convictions of candidates for deputies and 11 for senators.
The third is Podemos Perú, by current congressman and presidential candidate José Luna Gálvez. The party has candidates for deputies with 21 sentences, 2 for Andean parliamentarians and 10 for senators with convictions in their records. In total, there are 33.
The fourth is Perú Primero, by the brothers Martín and Mario Vizcarra. The party that at the time carried the convicted former president as a presidential candidate has 29 with sentences among its candidates: 19 for deputies and 10 for senators.
In fifth place is Perú Libre, by the fugitive from justice, Vladimir Cerrón. The party carries people with 22 sentences: 13 to deputies and 9 to senators.
In sixth and seventh place are Together for Peru (JPP) and Somos Perú with 20. In the first case, they have candidates for deputies with 14 sentences and senators with 6 convictions and, in the second case, 13 for deputies, 1 for the Andean Parliament and 6 for senators.
A little further down are the Peruvian Aprista Party and Popular Cooperation. Both have 19 sentences. APRA has candidates for deputies with 14 and senators with 5 sentences, while the organization that has Yohny Lescano as a presidential candidate has 11 candidates for deputies with sentences, 2 for Andean parliamentarians and 6 senators with convictions.
In Rafael López Aliaga’s Popular Renewal there are 17 sentences among its candidates. Of that total, 9 are among the candidates for deputies, 1 for Andean parliamentarian and 7 for senators.
Other parties with sentences
There are parties that also have convicted persons, but in smaller numbers. The Federal Democratic Party has 17 sentences among its candidates (10 in deputies, 7 in senators). The same happens with Frente de la Esperanza 2021 (13 in deputies and 4 in senators).
Cívico Obras and Democrata Unidos Perú lead to 13 each. In the first case, there are 8 for deputies, 1 Andean parliamentarian and 4 for deputies, and in the second there are 6 for deputies and 7 for senators.
In Country for All by Carlos Álvarez there are 14: 7 deputies and senators. In Ahora Nación, Progresemos and Unidad Nacional there are 12. Avanza País has 11 (8 deputies and 3 senators).
The alliance Venceremos, Democrata Verde and Primero la Gente has 9 each, while Libertad Popular has 7 candidates with sentences in their past, and the Good Government party with 8.
Faith in Peru, the Purple Party and Let’s Save Peru have 6 each. The PRIN, PPP and Peru Action 5. Democratic Integrity 4, PTE 3 and Popular Freedom and Yes I Believe 1 each.
The details of the sentences
In total there are 693 sentences issued among the 485 candidates with sentences. Most of them are for family and food issues (209) and for contractual concepts (95).
In addition, there are 61 for family violence and 22 for omission of the family sentence. Another 17 are for labor issues, while 16 are for embezzlement. Meanwhile, 15 were registered for defamation and 13 for false declaration in administrative proceedings and usurpation.
9 have been registered for illicit appropriation, against public faith, falsification of documents and minor injuries. 8 for fraud and theft and 7 for driving while intoxicated.
Another 6 were for offense against the person, negligent or intentional injuries and rebellion. 5 for disobedience to authority and common danger. 4 for manslaughter and serious injuries.
Among other crimes, 3 were reported against the public administration, against faith, body and health, sthelionate and generic and ideological falsehood, against public faith, non-compliance with the maintenance obligation, embezzlement of funds, incompatible negotiation, resistance to authority, use of a false document and violence and resistance to authority.
Expert questions candidates with sentences in their past
In dialogue with La República, the professor of political science at the Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos (UNMSM) and political scientist, Alejandro Mejía, considered that political reform for the internal strengthening of the parties is one of the many issues relegated from the public agenda.
“Precisely, it means that, instead of having upright candidates, with moral and ethical solvency as citizens demand, the electoral offer that the parties promote are candidates with criminal and judicial sentences. Here there is also complicity of the TC in rendering the applicability of Law 30717 without practical effect,” he explained.
Likewise, he stated that if all these candidates hold public office, the suitability of officials required by the State would not be guaranteed. Mejía maintained that in previous legislative periods there were cases of elected congressmen who during their administration came to light that they had problems with the law due to sentences for various crimes, but that their parliamentary immunity protected them.
“Therefore, it is important to remember that public officials must have proven moral aptitude; however, many congressional candidates lack this,” he said.
“Impunity and shielding are the greatest danger. Beyond wanting to represent their constituents and serve citizens, the motivation of many candidates is to access a position of power and take refuge in parliamentary immunity, now for both senators and deputies, in order not to respond to justice,” he said.
On the other hand, Mejía highlighted that this is the direct responsibility of the political parties, which have not had greater interest in strengthening internal democracy and having better standards for the selection of candidates.
“The parties are ‘wombs for rent’, including franchises and family fiefdoms, which now go so far as to offer numbers on the list to guests who contribute more money to the party, above the moral and ethical credentials of a candidate. This discourages more and more people who have the vocation to serve, from participating in politics,” he stressed.
