Only 19 of the 26 registered candidates for mayor of Lima signed the Electoral Ethical Pact organized by Peru's National Jury of Elections ahead of the 2026 municipal vote.
Prominent contenders Rafael Lopez Aliaga and Daniel Urresti were among those who failed to sign the agreement during the official ceremony held in the Peruvian capital.
The pact commits participating political organizations to conduct a campaign grounded in truthfulness and mutual respect, while establishing guidelines to prevent political harassment between competing groups.
Under the terms of the agreement, signatories pledged to maintain full transparency regarding campaign income and expenditures before oversight bodies of the National Jury of Elections, known locally as the JNE. Candidates also agreed to mandatory participation in public debates hosted by the electoral authority and promised to recognize official election results once voting concludes.
Controversy over candidate eligibility
Following the ceremony, several candidates gathered outside the venue to speak with reporters and criticize the candidacy of Rafael Lopez Aliaga. Lopez Aliaga assumed the head of the Renovacion Popular party ticket after the original candidate stepped down.
Mayoral hopefuls Yehude Simon, Susel Paredes, and Carlos Bruce agreed outside the building that the leadership swap represented a maneuver designed to bypass Peru's constitutional ban on immediate re-election.
Susel Paredes, representing the Ahora Nacion party, delivered the strongest rebuke against election authorities. She declared that the JNE is complicit in the situation surrounding Lopez Aliaga and described the tribunal's stance as complacent toward what she views as a breach of the Constitution.
Paredes also launched a personal attack against the Renovacion Popular candidate, describing him as a person with intellectual limitations.
Tierra Verde candidate Yehude Simon echoed her assessment. Simon stated that Lopez Aliaga knows he is cheating and accused him of breaking his word by taking top position on the ticket following the previous candidate's departure.
Somos Peru candidate Carlos Bruce urged the electoral body to demonstrate firmness. He called on the tribunal to strictly enforce the constitutional prohibition against immediate re-election and said election officials should not permit Lopez Aliaga to run under current circumstances.
Juan Carlos Alvarado of the Venceremos party offered the most direct warning to voters. He called on citizens not to vote for the fraud and said Lopez Aliaga does not deserve the backing of Lima residents.
In contrast, Avanza Pais candidate Francis Allison chose not to join the harsher criticisms of Lopez Aliaga, though he did question his absence from the ceremony. Allison urged patience before assessing the current management of Keiko Fujimori, suggesting a six-month evaluation period.
Transport proposals for Lima
Beyond their disputes over candidacy rules, several contenders presented concrete policy proposals for managing the capital city.
Paredes announced that if elected mayor, she will revise the penalty structure enforced by the Urban Transportation Authority, known as ATU, calling the current fines disproportionate. She added that she will coordinate directly with the National Police of Peru to combat crime across the capital.
Bruce proposed a more fundamental overhaul of the municipal transit agency. He criticized ATU for focusing solely on issuing fines and stated that, if necessary, he would change the name of the institution to transform its operational mandate.
Regarding the proposed Lima-Chosica railway line, both Paredes and Bruce agreed that purchasing train units falls outside the jurisdiction of the Lima mayor's office. They stated that purchasing rolling stock is the responsibility of the Ministry of Transportation and Communications.
Paredes criticized the current train project as junk and described it as a polluting and expensive system for local residents. She proposed replacing it with a suburban electric train system.
Allison rejected that critique, asserting that the Lima-Chosica train line will function successfully if he is elected mayor. The Avanza Pais candidate blamed current setbacks on disorderly execution rather than any flaw in the project's overall viability.
