Peruvian presidential aspirant, Rafael Belaunde, on Tuesday narrowly escaped an assassination attempt after gunmen opened fire on his vehicle south of the capital, Lima.
Police said Belaunde, 50, was driving his SUV near the town of Cerro Azul, about 130 kilometres from Lima, when two gunmen on a motorbike ambushed him and fired eight or nine shots at the vehicle.
The attack left the former energy minister bloodied from shattered glass but not seriously injured.
Peru’s Police Chief, General Oscar Arriola, confirmed that Belaunde engaged the attackers, firing back with his own weapon.
“Using his own weapon, Belaunde fired at least 12 shots at his attackers,” Arriola told Peru 21, adding that no gunshot injuries were recorded from either side.
Three bullets penetrated the front window of the SUV, with images broadcast on television and shared on social media showing Belaunde with blood on his face and shirt.
Belaunde later told investigators his injuries were minor, describing them as “scratches sustained after the incident.”
He also insisted he had not received any prior threats.
Reacting to the shooting, Pedro Cateriano of Belaunde’s Libertad Popular (Popular Liberty) party said the attack signalled a rough beginning to the election season.
“It is a bad start to the campaign at a time Peru is facing a surge in graft and organised crime,” he told RPP radio.
Cateriano referenced ongoing youth-led protests, many by Gen Z demonstrators, which have left dozens injured and at least one dead as Peru grapples with deepening political and economic uncertainty.
Leading contender Keiko Fujimori, daughter of late former president Alberto Fujimori, condemned the incident on 𝕏, warning against the growing violence ravaging the country.
“We cannot normalise these criminal acts, which must be combated with the full force of the law,” she wrote.
She added that the attack reflects “the violence that affects thousands of Peruvians every day.”
Belaunde is one of at least 12 candidates vying for the presidency in the April 12 general elections, though he currently polls near the bottom, far behind Fujimori and former Lima mayor Rafael Lopez Aliaga, both right-wing candidates campaigning on strong anti-crime platforms.
Peru has battled rising violent crime and extortion in recent years, with experts linking the trend to post-pandemic poverty, unemployment and political instability following the 2022 ouster of President Pedro Castillo.
Naijaonpoint understands that armed gangs, including the notorious Venezuelan syndicate Tren de Aragua, have expanded operations, particularly in urban transport.
According to the public prosecutor’s office, 56 bus drivers have been killed since January, many for refusing to pay protection money.
The deepening unrest contributed to the impeachment of former President Dina Boluarte, who was recently replaced by interim leader Jose Jeri, making him Peru’s seventh president since 2017.
Former Interior Minister Gino Costa, a close associate of Belaunde, demanded immediate state action.
He wrote on 𝕏: “The government must provide guarantees to presidential candidates and stop electoral violence now.”
Naijaonpoint reports that Peru’s next president will be sworn in by July 2026, as the country struggles to stabilise its political landscape ahead of the polls.
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