Hitler to stand against Lennin in Peru election

Unusual face-off happening in ballot to be mayor in Andes town of Yungar

The Peruvian mayoral candidate's parents were unaware of the German Nazi leader when they named their son. (Getty Images / Hulton Archive / Stringer)

Hitler is to stand against Lennin in an election in Peru.

The pair have been drawn together in the race to be mayor of Yungar – a town in the Andes. There, Hitler Alba Sanchez is running against Lennin Vladimir Rodriguez Valverde.

Mr Sanchez who has already served as mayor between 2011 until 2014, is standing with the slogan: "I’m the good Hitler!"

He said his parents had been unaware of his Nazi leader namesake when he was born – but, after learning of the unenviable coincidence, decided to embrace it anyway.

His father liked it, he said, because it “sounded foreign”.

Mr Valverde, meanwhile, has already gone on the attack against his opponent, trying to block his inscription as a candidate because of his previous term.

The attempt was however, roundly rejected by electoral authorities and both men will be on the ballot paper on 7 October.

They are not the first Peruvian names to raise eyebrows internationally. Last year Osama Vinladen played for the country’s junior football team.