Sawt Falasteen - Peru's presidential candidates clash on crime, 'political mafia'

The two candidates, who are neck and neck in the polls, are competing for power against a backdrop of profound political instability -- with Peru having cycled through eight presidents since 2016 -- and a deepening security crisis linked to organized crime.

The daughter of late former president Alberto Fujimori promised to deploy the military to support the police, dismantle extortion networks, and deport foreign criminals who are in the country illegally.

"From day one we will act with great force ... we are going to fight crime," said Fujimori, who is seeking the presidency for the fourth consecutive time.

"I will be the one to take the lead in combating criminals," the 51-year-old added.

Sanchez, a 57-year-old congressman and former minister, said that the fight against crime begins with "restoring democracy" and strengthening the justice system.

He proposed setting up an investigative police force to tackle insecurity and corruption.

"Today, politics, co-opted by the political mafia and by corruption, is preventing us from defending the lives of Peruvians," Sanchez said.

According to an Ipsos poll published on Sunday, Fujimori leads with 38 percent of the vote, compared to 35 percent for Sanchez.

Fujimori won the first round of voting on April 12 with 17.1 percent of the vote, followed by Sanchez with 12 percent, according to the National Jury of Elections (JNE).

The next president will take office on July 28, taking over from interim president Jose Maria Balcazar.

V.AbuAwwad--SF-PST