Humala's radical, anti-establishment rhetoric, he vowed to follow the lead of Chavez and Morales by imposing higher taxes on foreign companies that exploit the nation's natural resources resonated among Peru's poor, the majority of them dark-skinned mestizos. He attacked the established parties as corrupt and unresponsive to the needs of the poor, and vowed to write a new constitution stripping them of power.

Peru's poor feel they have not benefited from economic growth averaging 5.5 percent annually over the past four years, since the proportion of the population living in poverty dropped just two percentage points to 52 percent.

"We have faith we can develop a nation without discrimination, a society where our young people have a future," a smiling Humala told reporters after casting his ballot, avoiding the incendiary rhetoric that marked much of his campaign.

Garcia sought to overcome nightmarish memories of his earlier presidency, with its raging inflation, political violence and long lines for food. He said he was aware some Peruvians "will hold their noses" when they voted for him as "the lesser of two evils," but said he was determined not to repeat the errors he made as a young president.

As polls stations opened, Carlos Chavez Rios, a municipal street sweeper whose wrinkled face appeared much older than his 69 years, said he was willing to give Garcia a second chance.

"Alan Garcia made mistakes when he was young. We all make mistakes when we're young. He's mature now and has more experience," he said, broom in hand, outside a voting station in a drab working-class district.

But Andres Garcia, a 66-year-old taxi driver, said he cast his ballot for Humala "so that there is a change.

"A military man is tough. There is too much corruption. Let's hope he can impose order," Garcia said. "If Ollanta can't change this, no one can change it."