Peru: Presidential candidate Rafael Belaunde survived an armed attack in Cerro Azul

Rafael Belaunde, a candidate in the presidential elections in Peru in April 2026, narrowly escaped with his life from an armed attack in Cerro Azul, 150 kilometers south of Lima. The attack was carried out from a motorcycle, but according to the police, no one was injured. A photograph of Belaunde, with bloodstains on his face and shirt, went viral, and the police chief explained that the blood could have come from shards of windshield hit by bullets. Belaunde had not reported any prior threats, and former minister Pedro Cateriano condemned the attack, highlighting the climate of violence in the country. Peru is facing a rise in organized crime, and the general elections are scheduled for April 12, 2026. Belaunde, the nephew of former president Fernando Belaunde, is not among the favorites in polls, which favor Rafael Lopez Aliaga and Keiko Fujimori.