Roberto Helbert Sánchez Palomino (born 3 February 1969) is a Peruvian psychologist and politician. He is a congressman of the Congress of the Republic of Peru for the period 2021-2026 and was Minister of Foreign Trade and Tourism for Pedro Castillo from 29 July 2021 until his resignation on 7 December 2022.[1] He is also a presidential candidate in the 2026 general election.
Roberto Sánchez | |
|---|---|
 Sánchez in 2024 | |
| President of Together for Peru | |
| Assumed office 1 October 2017 | |
| Preceded by | Position established |
| Minister of Foreign Trade and Tourism | |
| In office 29 July 2021 – 7 December 2022 | |
| President | Pedro Castillo |
| Prime Minister | Guido Bellido Mirtha Vásquez Héctor Valer Aníbal Torres Betssy Chávez |
| Preceded by | Claudia Cornejo |
| Succeeded by | Luis Fernando Helguero |
| Member of Congress | |
| Assumed office 27 July 2021 | |
| Constituency | Lima |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Roberto Helbert Sánchez Palomino 3 February 1969 Huaral, Peru |
| Party | Together for Peru (since 2017) |
Other political affiliations | Peruvian Humanist Party (2006-2017) |
| Education | National University of San Marcos |
Biography
editSánchez was born in Huaral on 3 February 1969.[2] He studied Psychology at the National University of San Marcos,[3] graduating in 1998 with a Bachelor's degree and a professional degree in 2000,[4] later becoming a psychotherapist for both individuals and groups.[5] Sánchez later earned a Master's degree in social policy at the Pontifical Catholic University of Peru.[4]
Political career
editIn the 2006 general elections, Sánchez ran for congress for the Decentralist Concertation for Lima, without success, he obtained 1,259 votes.[6] In the 2006 regional and municipal elections, Sánchez was a candidate for mayor of Huaral for the Peruvian Humanist Party, but was unsuccessful in winning it.[7] In 2020, he was appointed manager of Social Development of the Provincial Municipality of Huaral.[3]
He was part of the Peruvian Humanist Party, later he joined Together for Peru, where he is the president as of 2022.[8][9] Some former leaders of Together for Peru criticized Sánchez for his ability to establish leadership in the party, including the party's founder Yehude Simon.[4]
Congressman and Minister
editIn the 2021 general elections, he was elected congressman for the Republic of Peru with Together for Peru, with 29,827 votes, for the 2021–2026 parliamentary period.[10] On July 29, 2021, he was appointed Minister of Foreign Trade and Tourism in the government of Pedro Castillo.[2] While serving as minister, he was criticized for personal expenses incurred for laundry and meals with public funds, though he registered these expenses as necessary for work meetings.[4]
Roberto Sánchez maintains ties with the Peruvian rural world due to his involvement in territorial development policies in historically marginalized areas. During his time in government, he promoted community-based tourism in order to generate economic benefits for rural families. In Congress, where he served after the fall of the government in December 2022, he supported policies aimed at decentralization and strengthening local economies.[11]
Sánchez was the only individual to serve throughout the entirety of Castillo's tenure.
Presidential candidacy
editSánchez ran for office to be the president of Peru in the 2026 Peruvian general election.[5] A defender of President Castillo, Sánchez said that the former president was a victim of a coup during the institutional crisis in 2022, promising to release Castillo from prison if elected.[5] He also proposes a constituent assembly to create a new constitution of Peru.[5] During his presidential campaign, Sánchez appeared at public events wearing a chotano hat that was given to him by Castillo when he visited the former president in prison.[12] At a court hearing shortly before the election, Castillo called on the public to vote for Sánchez.[12] Days before the election on 4 April 2026, La República reported that the chief of Opinion Studies at the Institute of Peruvian Studies, Patricia Zárate, observed that Sánchez was experiencing a similar growth in support in polls as Castillo did at the same period prior to the 2021 Peruvian general election.[13]
In the first round of the election, which began on 12 April 2026, Sánchez saw his position move from 6th place in the first few days of tabulation to 2nd place by 15 April. The slow increase of Sánchez's position in the presidential race occurred due to the rural support of Sánchez, which required longer times to gather data from remote areas. This support was seen as a vindication of Castillo by rural supporters who saw Congress obstructing the former president's mandate.[12] He will compete against Keiko Fujimori in a runoff vote scheduled on 7 June.[14]
Political positions
editA member of the left wing,[4] Sánchez supports universal access to education including university studies and increasing funding for education from 6% of GDP spending to 10%.[4] He has called for public policy to be implemented with support of scientific data.[4] On the economy, he has promoted formalizing the existing informal economy in Peru in order to provide a tax base for educational and local expenditures.[4]
Electoral history
edit| Year | Position | Party | Votes | Percentage | Result | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | Congressman for Lima | Decentralization Coalition | 1,259 | Not elected | |||
| 2006 | Mayor of Huaral |  Peruvian Humanist Party |
2,327 | 11th |
Not elected | ||
| 2020 | Congressman for Lima and Residents Abroad |  Together for Peru |
33,720 | Not Elected | |||
| 2021 | Congressman for Lima | Together for Peru |
29,825 | Elected | |||
| 2026 | President of Peru | Together for Peru |
To be determined | Pending |
|||
| 2026 | Deputy for Lima | Together for Peru |
To be determined | ||||
References
edit- ↑ "Roberto Sánchez: "Agenda de la PCM no ha sido, ni será el modo golpista del Gobierno"" [Roberto Sánchez: "The PCM agenda has not been, nor will it be, the government's coup"]. Infobae (in European Spanish). 4 December 2022. Retrieved 20 January 2023.
- 1 2 "Roberto Sánchez jura como ministro de Comercio Exterior y Turismo" [Roberto Sánchez is sworn in as Minister of Foreign Trade and Tourism]. Andina (in Spanish). 29 July 2021. Retrieved 20 January 2023.
- 1 2 "Roberto Sánchez, el nuevo ministro de Comercio Exterior y Turismo [PERFIL]" [Roberto Sánchez, the new Minister of Foreign Trade and Tourism [PROFILE]]. Radio Programas del Perú (in Spanish). 29 July 2021. Retrieved 20 January 2023.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Espinoza, Carlos (5 April 2026). "Roberto Sánchez: Perfil y hoja de vida del candidato a la presidencia por Juntos por el Perú". infobae (in Spanish). Retrieved 15 April 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 González, Anabella (11 April 2026). "¿Quiénes son y qué proponen Roberto Sánchez y Alfonso López-Chau, candidatos de izquierda a la presidencia de Perú?". CNN (in Spanish). Retrieved 15 April 2026.
- ↑ "ELECCIONES GENERALES 2006 - CONGRESAL". Infogob. 2006. Retrieved 20 January 2023.
- ↑ "ELECCIONES REGIONALES Y MUNICIPALES 2006 - MUNICIPAL PROVINCIAL". Infogab. 2006. Retrieved 20 January 2023.
- ↑ "Presidente de Juntos por el Perú se reunió con Vladimir Cerrón antes de acuerdo entre Verónika Mendoza y Pedro Castillo". expreso.com.pe. 6 May 2021. Archived from the original on 12 June 2021. Retrieved 20 January 2023.
- ↑ "Presidente de Juntos por el Perú sobre Pedro Castillo: "Tenemos coincidencias muy importantes"". El Comercio Perú (in Spanish). 12 April 2021. Retrieved 21 January 2023.
- ↑ "Resultados de las elecciones al Congreso: próximos 130 congresistas boca de urna Ipsos, conteo rápido y avance ONPE". La Republica (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 15 November 2021. Retrieved 21 January 2023.
- ↑ "¿Quién es Roberto Sánchez, el candidato de izquierda que se metió en la contienda por la presidencia del Perú?". Univision.
- 1 2 3 Vega, Renzo Gómez (15 April 2026). "El candidato de la izquierda en Perú da pelea gracias al escrutinio del voto rural". El País (in Spanish). Retrieved 15 April 2026.
- ↑ Saavedra, Narda (4 April 2026). "Roberto Sánchez presenta un similar crecimiento a Pedro Castillo en el 2021". La República (in Spanish). Retrieved 15 April 2026.
- ↑ "A political dynasty heiress and a former trade minister advance to Peru's presidential runoff". AP News. 17 May 2026. Retrieved 17 May 2026.
External links
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