2025 Peruvian Aprista Party presidential primary
30 November 2025
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On 30 November 2025, members of the Peruvian Aprista Party chose a presidential ticket for the 2026 presidential election.[1][2]
Of all the 39 political organizations (including electoral alliances) participating of the general election, only the Peruvian Aprista Party and Popular Renewal opted for direct election of nominees for President, Vice President, Senators, and members of Chamber of Deputies. The rest used the indirect method through delegates.[3]
In the primary election held on 30 November 2025 contested by a record of 14 candidates, party newcomer Enrique Valderrama narrowly secured the party’s presidential nomination, receiving 3,779 votes (25.80%), a lead of 198 votes over former Prime Minister Javier Velásquez, who obtained 3,581 votes (24.50%) and followed by another former Prime Minister, Jorge del Castillo with 3,402 votes (23.28%).[4][5] Another former cabinet minister, Hernán Garrido Lecca, placed fourth in the primary, obtaining 2,370 votes (16.22%); other minor candidates obtained less than 400 votes.[6]
The result was widely regarded by outside observers as a major upset, as several more experienced contenders had been considered the favourites due to their longer political trajectories and established internal alliances.[7][8]
Election background
After decades as one of Peru’s oldest and historically significant political parties, the Peruvian Aprista Party (APRA) entered a period of decline in the 2010s and early 2020s. Following the 2016 general election, in which longtime leader Alan García finished fifth and subsequently resigned as party president, the party struggled to maintain electoral relevance and internal cohesion. APRA’s performance continued to falter in the 2020 congressional snap election, where it received only about 2.7 % of the vote—failing to surpass the electoral threshold required for congressional representation after 25 years of continuous presence in the legislature.[9]
For the 2021 general election, APRA initially nominated Nidia Vílchez as its presidential candidate. However, after the Special Electoral Jury (JEE) rejected the party’s congressional lists, the party withdrew Vílchez’s candidacy and ultimately did not participate in the election.[10][11][12] This absence from the ballot lost the party's official registration with the National Jury of Elections (JNE), a situation that echoed challenges faced by other parties that failed to meet participation and vote-share requirements.
The death of García by suicide in April 2019 removed a central figure in APRA’s leadership and accelerated efforts by various factions within the party to assert control. In the years that followed, the party experienced internal disputes and organizational setbacks, including the removal of thousands of registered members from the party roster due to procedural irregularities related to its legal representation before the JNE.[13] These developments highlighted ongoing struggles within APRA over leadership and the party’s direction ahead of the 2026 general election.
Candidates
Nominee
| Candidate | Experience | Home department | Campaign | Popular vote | Running mates | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Enrique Valderrama Peña | Lawyer, journalist, and political analyst | Lima | Secured nomination: 30 November 2025 |
3,779 (25.85%) |
First Vice President María Inés Valdivia Acuña Second Vice President Lucio Antonio Vásquez Sánchez | ||
Defeated in the primary
| Candidate | Experience | Home department | Popular vote | Running mates | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Javier Velásquez Quesquén | Prime Minister of Peru (2009–2010) President of Congress (2008–2009) Member of Congress (1995–2000; 2001–2019) |
Lambayeque | 3,581 (24.50%) |
First Vice President Carla García Buscaglia Second Vice President Luis Wilson Ugarte | ||
| Jorge del Castillo Gálvez | Prime Minister of Peru (2006–2008) Member of Congress (1995–2011; 2016–2019) Member of the Chamber of Deputies (1990–1992) Mayor of Lima (1987–1989) Mayor of Barranco (1984–1986) Member of the Barranco District Council (1981–1983) |
Lima | 3,402 (23.28%) |
First Vice President Mauricio Mulder Bedoya Second Vice President Belén García Mendoza | ||
| Hernán Garrido Lecca Montáñez | Minister of Health (2007–2008) Minister of Housing, Construction and Sanitation (2006–2007) |
Lima | 2,370 (16.22%) |
First Vice President Omar Quesada Martínez Second Vice President Olga Cribilleros Shigihara | ||
| Juan Carlos Sánchez Montes de Oca | Nominee for the Congress of the Republic from Lima Metropolitan Area (2016) |
Lima | 381 (2.61%) |
First Vice President Valeria Mezarina Avia Second Vice President Fidel Buitrón Espinoza | ||
| Neptalí Ramírez Herrera | Mayor of Víctor Larco Herrera (1993–1995) | La Libertad | 348 (2.38%) |
First Vice President Jorge Cuervo Larrea Second Vice President Milagros Morales Yauri | ||
| Yamel Romero Peralta | Mayor of Arequipa (2003–2006) | Arequipa | 317 (2.17%) |
First Vice President Aura Lucía Calle Olivera Second Vice President José Luis Rodríguez Casaperalta | ||
| Rafael Zevallos Bueno | Chemist and author | Lima | 185 (1.26%) |
First Vice President Aura Lucía Calle Olivera Second Vice President Daniel Díaz Espinoza | ||
| Augusto Valqui Malpica | Minister of Transportation and Communications (1990; 2020) |
Lima | 68 (0.47%) |
First Vice President Edmundo Haya de la Torre Barr Second Vice President Isabel Oviedo Trujillo | ||
Results
| Candidate | Votes | % |
|---|---|---|
| List No. 1 (Romero-Calle-Rodríguez) | 317 | 1.95 |
| List No. 2 (Garrido Lecca-Quesada-Cribilleros) | 2,370 | 14.55 |
| List No. 3 (Del Castillo-Mulder-García) | 3,402 | 20.88 |
| List No. 4 (Mendoza-Gamboa-Ciriaco) | 62 | 0.38 |
| List No. 5 (Valqui-Haya de la Torre-Oviedo) | 68 | 0.42 |
| List No. 6 (Zevallos-Salcedo-Díaz) | 185 | 1.14 |
| List No. 7 (Valderrama-Valdivia-Vásquez) | 3,779 | 23.20 |
| List No. 8 (Torres-Loayza-Ríos) | 26 | 0.16 |
| List No. 9 (Quiroz-Puma-Fernández) | 28 | 0.17 |
| List No. 10 (Morales-Núñez-Javes) | 23 | 0.14 |
| List No. 11 (Ramírez-Cuervo-Morales) | 348 | 2.14 |
| List No. 12 (Sánchez-Mezarina-Buitrón) | 381 | 2.34 |
| List No. 13 (Velásquez-García-Wilson) | 3,581 | 21.98 |
| List No. 14 (Vargas-Ruelas-Loayza) | 46 | 0.28 |
| Blank Votes | 1,312 | 8.05 |
| Void | 363 | 2.23 |
| Total | 16,291 | 100.00 |
| Source: ONPE[14] | ||
See also
References
- ^ "El regreso del APRA: partido alista elecciones internas para definir su próximo candidato presidencial". La República (in European Spanish). August 12, 2025. Retrieved October 9, 2025.
- ^ "Cinco precandidatos del APRA miden fuerzas en internas para definir plancha presidencial de 2026". Expreso (in European Spanish). August 6, 2025. Retrieved October 9, 2025.
The Peruvian Aprista Party (APRA) is preparing for a crucial internal election process ahead of the 2026 general election. Five presidential candidates have been confirmed, and the contenders are gearing up to fight for every vote to secure the support of the party's grassroots.
- ^ "Élites partidarias definirán candidatos presidenciales: no habrá voto universal en la mayoría de partidos y alianzas". El Comercio (in European Spanish). September 7, 2025. Retrieved September 8, 2025.
Before the Congressional Constitution Committee, the head of the National Office of Electoral Processes (ONPE), Piero Corvetto, stated that only one of the 39 lists (36 parties and three alliances) will hold its primary elections under the one member, one vote system. As reported by El Comercio, this is the Peruvian Aprista Party.
- ^ "¿Quién es Enrique Valderrama, el joven candidato presidencial del partido aprista?". Perú21 (in Spanish). November 5, 2025. Retrieved December 3, 2025.
Leaving behind the slates led by historical members of the party, such as Javier Velásquez Quesquén and his alliance with Carla García, daughter of Alan García, and Jorge del Castillo himself alongside Mauricio Mulder, this young 36-year-old candidate would represent the renewal of this political movement.
- ^ "¿Quién es Enrique Valderrama, el joven candidato presidencial del partido aprista?". El Comercio (in Spanish). December 1, 2025. Retrieved December 3, 2025.
Enrique Valderrama—member of the APRA Political Commission, law graduate, and columnist—has just been elected as the presidential nominee for the Aprista Party, in what must be the most hotly contested primaries at the Casa del Pueblo in recent years. In an interview with El Comercio, he said that the party must reaffirm "its democratic leftist perspective."
- ^ "Elecciones primarias: Renovación Aprista". Caretas (in Spanish). November 30, 2025. Retrieved December 15, 2025.
With the National Jury of Elections announcement pending, Valderrama has become the face of a generation seeking to restore relevance to the APRA ahead of the 2026 general elections. His unprecedented victory over the party's heavyweights has triggered a process of internal realignment and raised a key question: Can the APRA's renewal translate into electoral reconnection?
- ^ "Enrique Valderrama: ¿Cómo queda el Partido Aprista tras su elección? ¿Quiénes rodean al candidato presidencial?". El Comercio (in Spanish). December 2, 2025. Retrieved December 3, 2025.
Enrique Valderrama's narrow victory in the internal elections of the Aprista Party and his nomination as presidential candidate has been a severe blow to a sector within the Casa del Pueblo, especially to former Prime Minister Javier Velásquez Quesquén and journalist Carla García. The "popular and provincial ticket" was left out of the 2026 general election by less than 200 votes.
- ^ "ENRIQUE VALDERRAMA WILL BE THE APRA PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE IN THE 2026 ELECTIONS". Latin American News (in Spanish). December 1, 2025. Retrieved December 3, 2025.
Con el 100 % de los votos escrutados, la lista 7 de Enrique Valderrama superó a la lista 13 de Javier Velásquez Quesquén. De este modo, el joven abogado representará al partido APRA en las elecciones de 2026 tras obtener 3711 votos, mientras que su rival Velásquez obtuvo 3527 votos.
- ^ Política LR (January 26, 2020). "Apra alcanza solo el 2.6 % de votos en conteo rápido al 95% y no tendrá representación en el Congreso". La República (in Spanish). Retrieved December 21, 2025.
- ^ "APRA retira su fórmula presidencial de las elecciones generales". La República (in Spanish). January 15, 2021. Retrieved September 8, 2025.
Presidential nominee Nidia Vílchez will be out of the electoral race after the JNE declares most of the lists of candidates for Congress inadmissible.
- ^ "Elecciones 2021: Apra retira candidatura presidencial de Nidia Vílchez". Andina Noticias (in Spanish). January 15, 2021. Retrieved September 8, 2025.
The presidential ticket of the Peruvian Aprista Party (APRA), headed by Nidia Vílchez, was withdrawn by decision of the party's political commission, confirmed the head of that body, Mauricio Mulder.
- ^ "Elecciones 2021: JEE de Lima Centro 1 aceptó el retiro de la plancha presidencial del Apra". Diario Correo (in Spanish). February 11, 2021. Retrieved September 8, 2025.
The electoral authority accepted the Aprista Party's request to withdraw the presidential ticket headed by Nidia Vílchez, after failing to register almost all of its parliamentary lists.
- ^ Muñoz, Mauricio (August 22, 2025). "Apra alcanza solo el 2.6 % de votos en conteo rápido al 95% y no tendrá representación en el Congreso". La República (in Spanish). Retrieved December 21, 2025.
- ^ "PRESENTACIÓN DE RESULTADOS ELECCIONES PRIMARIAS - 30 de Noviembre (Partido Aprista Peruano - Candidato Presidencial)". Oficina Nacional de Procesos Electorales - ONPE (in Spanish). Retrieved December 12, 2025.