Washington, D.C. – Today, Representatives Gregory W. Meeks, Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, and Albio Sires, Chairman of the Subcommittee on Western Hemisphere, Civilian Security, Migration, and International Economic Policy, issued the following statement in response to allegations of widespread fraud in Peru’s recent presidential elections: 

“Two weeks ago, despite the raging COVID-19 pandemic and its severe socioeconomic disruptions, nearly seventy-five percent of Peruvian voters went to the polls to choose their next president in a free and fair election. We join the Organization of American States (OAS) and the broader international community in praising Peru for conducting a transparent and peaceful election under such difficult circumstances, and take note of the preliminary findings of the OAS’ electoral observation mission, which found no evidence of serious irregularities. Yet, a campaign of misinformation and attempts to throw out a set of votes from poor and rural areas challenges the result of the elections and puts at risk a peaceful transition of power.

“As a country that has also recently struggled with preserving its republic from candidates determined to undermine democracy, the United States knows well the challenges that Peru is facing. We urge all parties to respect the will of the electorate no matter the result, to adhere to the decisions taken by the country’s independent electoral authorities, to stop subverting the electoral process through the spread of misinformation, and to reaffirm the Peruvian people’s confidence in their elections, so as to maintain stability and bolster democracy within the country.”  

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