Carlos Bruce, the Somos Perú candidate for mayor of Lima, criticized Luis Rubio's withdrawal from the mayoral race for Renovación Popular, saying the move amounts to a way of circumventing the law.
Bruce said they knew something like this was going to happen, and that it was not a surprise, but it still angered them as though it had not been expected. He said Peru's National Elections Jury, known as the JNE, had failed to enforce the law barring mayors from seeking re-election. He said he was not in agreement with that rule and would have liked to remain in office in Lima for another term, but could not, adding that mechanisms had been found to violate the law. He made the comments on the YouTube program 'Que no se te olvide,' hosted by Carlos Cornejo on La República's channel.
Bruce criticizes JNE's role
Bruce, a former government minister, said the situation sets a terrible precedent and reflects how Renovación Popular operates politically. He also faulted the JNE for allegedly permitting the maneuver.
Bruce said they had warned the Jury about it, but the JNE allowed Rubio to withdraw from the Senate candidacy, a position for which he had asked voters for their support, calling the situation truly terrible.
Rubio's withdrawal from the mayoral race
Luis Isael Rubio Idrogo filed an irrevocable resignation from his candidacy for mayor of Lima with Renovación Popular on August 4, as part of the 2026 Regional and Municipal Elections process. The withdrawal was submitted to the filing office of the Special Electoral Jury of Lima Centro through an official document citing strictly personal reasons, even though his candidacy had been admitted on July 26.
The document, signed by Rubio and based on the Municipal Elections Law, requests certification of his signature to formalize his exit from the electoral process. His resignation came one day before the legal deadline to withdraw a candidacy, and if accepted, would allow Rafael López Aliaga, registered as first councilman and deputy mayor on the same list, to automatically take over the mayoral candidacy.
Legal process still pending
Electoral and constitutional law specialist Kevin Advíncula told La República that filing the resignation alone does not end the process, since the Special Electoral Jury must evaluate its legality before issuing a ruling. He added that if the resignation is accepted, the decision could still be appealed before the full National Elections Jury, which would then have to determine whether any irregularity occurred in the process or whether electoral rules were being manipulated.
