Rafael Belaunde, presidential candidate, focused by armed assault | EUROtoday

The right-wing candidate for the Peruvian presidential election subsequent April, Rafael Belaunde, escaped a capturing assault south of Lima on Tuesday, December 2, in a rustic experiencing a rise in violence linked to organized crime.

Two people driving on a bike shot “eight or nine shots” on the car during which Mr. Belaunde, chief of the Popular Liberty get together, was, Peruvian police chief General Oscar Arriola informed the press. The assault occurred within the city of Cerro Azul, some 150 kilometers south of Lima.

According to the media Peru 21, Mr. Belaunde, a 50-year-old entrepreneur, responded along with his gun and fired “at least twelve blows”. The trade of fireplace didn’t end in any gunshot wounds, police assured. A photograph of Mr. Belaunde, his face and shirt stained with blood, nevertheless, rapidly went viral on X and relayed by a number of tv channels. According to the police chief, the traces of blood come from minor accidents attributable to shards of glass from the windshield hit by three bullets. He didn’t specify whether or not the shrapnel had hit the politician or his driver.

The right-wing chief informed the police that he didn’t “received threats”reported General Arriola. “We are living in a tormented time of great insecurity among citizens. We must let the police do their job.”commented Mr. Belaunde to the press, without making any assumptions about the perpetrators of the attack.

General elections on April 12

“It’s a bad start to the campaign (…) We must firmly reject this shooting attack of which Rafael Belaunde was the victim”former minister Pedro Cateriano, founding father of the Popular Liberty get together, informed RPP radio. “He is unharmed. The offenders did not achieve their objective »he stressed. Peru crosses “unfortunately a context of active criminal activity”he added.

The country will hold general, presidential and legislative elections on April 12. For the moment, Mr. Belaunde, declared candidate, is not among the favorites of the ballot. The polls are dominated by the former mayor of Lima, Rafael Lopez Aliaga, and by Keiko Fujimori, daughter of the late ex-president Alberto Fujimori, both also located on the right. Mr. Belaunde is the grandson of former head of state Fernando Belaunde, who led Peru from 1963 to 1968, then from 1980 to 1985.

Peru has faced a wave of violence linked to organized crime in recent years. Multiple gangs extort and murder those who resist the blackmail, which has triggered massive demonstrations led by young people in particular and by the transport and commerce sector, the most affected.

Faced with the unstoppable advance of insecurity, Parliament dismissed the then president Dina Boluarte on October 10, during an express process. The head of Parliament, José Jeri, a right-wing figure, inherited power on an interim basis until July 2026, when the new president will be sworn in.