The former leader of Peru, Alan Garcia, looks set for victory in the country's run-off election for the position of President.
Mr Garcia, who portrays himself as a left-of-centre democrat, won 52.7 per cent of votes, according to an unofficial count by pollster Apoyo that sampled 91 per cent of ballots.
Nationalist ex-army commander Ollanta Humala, who won support from Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez with his calls for a revolution against the rich, had 47.3 per cent of votes.
The Apoyo results, which the pollster says are 99 per cent reliable, echoed other exit polls as well as another unofficial count by Datum pollster.
A Garcia victory would undermine efforts by Mr Chavez to take advantage of a populist tide in Latin America to challenge US influence. Mr Chavez and Mr Garcia insulted each other before the vote after the Venezuelan leader publica'ly supported Mr Humala.