LIMA, Peru (AP) 鈥� A Peruvian presidential candidate died Sunday in a car accident on a remote Andean highway while traveling to a political rally.
Napole贸n Becerra, 61, was the candidate for the Workers and Entrepreneurs Party of Peru in the April 12 election. The leftist was one of the 36 candidates and a recent poll showed him with less than 1% of the voting intentions.
Becerra’s vehicle went off the road in the rural district of the city of Pilpichaca, 430 kilometers (267 miles) southeast of capital Lima, local police said. Mayor Balv铆n Huaman铆 told The Associated Press that three passengers in the candidate’s car were injured.
Becerra’s party said his body was taken to Huamanga, the capital of the Ayacucho region where the accident took place.
Peruvians hope the general elections to put a halt to the country’s extended political crisis. Jos茅 Mar铆a Balc谩zar, 83, became Peru鈥檚 in February, replacing another interim leader who was over corruption allegations.
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