UN rights chief urges ‘calm’ as Peru still waits for vote results

Leftist presidential contender Pedro Castillo widely expected to win, but official results not yet announced.

The United Nations human rights chief has urged Peruvians to “remain calm” as the official results of a deeply polarised presidential runoff have yet to be released, more than a week after the vote was held across the Andean nation. In a statement on Monday, Michelle Bachelet said she was “concerned that what should be a celebration of democracy is becoming a source of division, which is in turn widening the fracture in Peruvian society with negative human rights implications”. She also expressed concern that election officials were being harassed.