The presidential candidate of Peru Primero, Mario Vizcarrastated that the ruling in his favor issued by the National Election Jury (JNE) allows him to fully resume the race and respond to his critics at the polls. “I tell those detractors clearly: games are won on the field. We are waiting for you on April 12 “There, at the polls, we see who is who and for whom the Peruvian people vote,” he declared for La República after learning of the resolution.
Vizcarra maintained that the decision of the JNE Not only does it have a personal effect, but it restores a constitutional right. “It is not only that Mario Vizcarra returns to the electoral race as a presidential candidate, but that a fundamental right is restored: the right to elect and be elected,” he said, also alluding to the citizens who, he said, followed the removal process with concern.
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The candidate interpreted the electoral body’s pronouncement as a show of autonomy in the face of political pressure. He affirmed that the Jury “has shown a sign of independence” and that “the law has prevailed”, when evaluating the arguments of his defense and allowing him to continue in the race towards the elections 2026.
In this context, he assured that the verdict strengthens his discourse of confrontation with the sectors that, in his opinion, seek to exclude him. “Not everything is lost. Not all State institutions have been occupied by mafia parties and power groups that threaten the country’s democracy,” he said.
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The criminal record that marked the mark against Mario Vizcarra
One of the axes of the controversy around Mario Vizcarra It is the sentence for embezzlement that dates back to 2005, linked to his time at the then Transitory Council of Regional Administration (CETAR) of Moquegua. The candidate explained that he was prosecuted for alleged double payment during his administration, something he emphatically denied. “I never received two salaries. I did have two incomes,” he said.
He explained that one corresponded to his remuneration as a public official, which amounted to S/ 1,800, and the other to a productivity bonus granted within the framework of an agreement between the State and the UNDP. According to him, this mechanism benefited thousands of servers. “All of us who came before me: ministers, managers, officials of public companies, presidents of CETAR received the bonus,” he said.
Vizcarra affirmed that he was the only one convicted in that process and that he did not appeal due to the personal and family exhaustion he faced after leaving his private activity to take office. “I reiterate, I am not a criminal, I am not corrupt,” he declared, emphasizing that his judicial situation was used to question his candidacy before the recent ruling in his favor of the JNE.
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The legal interpretation that allowed Mario Vizcarra to return to the race
The candidate explained that the sentence included a four-year disqualification from holding public office, a period that, according to his version, was completed in 2009. “The sentence clearly specified that I was disqualified for four years. Therefore, in 2009 I was already rehabilitated,” he indicated.
He added that the rule approved in 2018, used as the basis for the strike, could not be applied retroactively to his case. “This law contravenes a legal principle which is the non-retroactivity of the rules,” he stated, noting that this argument was considered by the Jury when deciding his reinstatement in the race.
For Mario Vizcarrathe decision of JNE sets a precedent for the right of rehabilitated citizens to apply. “If the disqualification period has already ended, the law is clear: we can now apply,” he said, and stressed that his situation cannot be compared to that of those who were sentenced after the 2018 rule came into effect.
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Heading towards April 12: Mario Vizcarra’s political message
After overcoming the challenge, the candidate assured that his campaign did not stop during the process and that he will now redouble his efforts. “We have not let our guard down. This gives us new optimism to continue touring all of Peru,” he stated, referring to the fact that he has been visiting remote regions and areas for more than two years.
Mario Vizcarra addressed a message to voters regarding the elections 2026with emphasis on social inequality. He questioned the precariousness of basic services in schools and hospitals, as well as the gap between public spending and citizen needs. “It is not possible for our children to attend schools where seventy percent do not have water, electricity or internet,” he expressed, and closed with a call to contest power at the polls: “We are waiting for you on April 12 to see who is who and for whom the Peruvian people vote.”
