Cynthia McClintock, professor of political science and international affairs at The George Washington University: “For Peru’s 2026 presidential election, Fujimori currently leads the polls—but with support at about 12 percent. While the suspension of the case against Fujimori provides additional ammunition for the argument that Peru’s judiciary is politicized, it is unlikely to significantly improve views of Fujimori. In 2018, damning messages between Fujimori and her allies were widely disseminated. In a poll, she was deemed ‘the most corrupt person in the country’ by a plurality of Peruvians (29 percent). In the 2021 election, Fujimori’s base narrowed; she tallied only 13 percent of the vote in the first round and achieved second place only because votes were divided among 18 candidates. Unfortunately, a similar outcome is possible in 2026. Currently, 40 parties are registered. (Antauro Humala, a fiery former army major convicted of killing police officers in a 2005 rebellion has been second in the polls…”