By Marco Aquino
LIMA (Reuters) -The mayor of Peru’s capital, Rafael Lopez Aliaga, said he will resign from his post on Monday to become the first candidate in April’s presidential election, as the country navigates a fresh political crisis following an abrupt change of government.
The conservative politician and businessman said in a television interview on Sunday night that he would submit his resignation as mayor of Lima, as he seeks to make a second consecutive run for the presidency.
“I will resign tomorrow at 3:30 p.m. (2030 GMT), because Peru cannot remain in this state of indifference,” Lopez Aliaga told Panamericana Television.
Lopez Aliaga is the only candidate polling in double digits at this early stage of the 2026 race, with 10% support according to the latest Ipsos survey.
Over a third of Peruvian voters, 39%, remained undecided.
Known as “Porky” by residents who see a resemblance to a cartoon character called Porky Pig, Lopez Aliaga has embraced his nickname, using a pig as his personal mascot and frequently deploying the animal at public events.
All Peruvian officials must resign six months before elections if they wish to run for office. General elections have been scheduled for April 12 next year.
Lopez Aliaga’s Popular Renewal was among the right-wing parties that historically supported former President Dina Boluarte, but last Thursday it backed a fresh push to remove her from office. Hours later, Congress lawmakers removed her in a unanimous vote.
She was replaced by Congress president Jose Jeri, who stood next in the line of succession as she did not have a vice president.
The electoral jury has so far approved 39 parties and alliances from across the political spectrum to put candidates forward, setting the scene for another polarized electoral campaign in the region.
An upcoming election in neighboring Chile is meanwhile set to pitch a progressive leftist against a far-right hardliner on migration and security issues in a presidential vote next month.
The removal of Boluarte, one of the world’s least popular leaders who left office with approval ratings between 2% and 4%, has resulted in Peru averaging one and a half presidents per year since 2018.
Three former presidents are currently behind bars.
(Reporting by Marco Aquino; Writing by Sarah Morland; Editing by William Maclean)
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