Lima. -The presidential candidate of the Popular Freedom party, Rafael Belaúnde Llosa, was unharmed this Tuesday after an armed attack perpetrated against the vehicle in which he was traveling through the district of Cerro Azul, in the province of Cañete, in the south of Lima.
The attack was recorded while Belaúnde Llosa was supervising some land he owned in the area, when he was intercepted by individuals on a motorcycle who opened fire. The shots hit the windshield of the truck, although without seriously injuring him. Images released by his group show traces of blood on his head and shirt, belonging to minor injuries caused by shrapnel.
After the incident, the former prime minister and leader of Popular Freedom, Pedro Cateriano, described the event as “a bad start to the campaign” towards the general elections scheduled for April 12, 2026.
The Peruvian National Police (PNP) immediately activated a “Surround Plan” in Cerro Azul in order to capture those responsible. According to the PNP’s general commander, Óscar Arriola, the case is under investigation by the Homicide and Criminalistics division; so far, no prior extortion threats have been reported.
For its part, the National Office of Electoral Processes (ONPE) made public a call to reject political violence and urged the State to provide protection for all candidates for public office, given the escalation of aggressions in the midst of the electoral campaign.
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Popular Freedom calls on the justice and security bodies to act swiftly, clarify the motive of the attack and firmly punish those responsible, guaranteeing the right of all citizens and citizen-candidates to participate in a free and safe electoral process.
