Conservative leader Keiko Fujimori was sworn in as Peru’s president on Tuesday, taking office for a five-year term on Peru’s Independence Day as reported by AS/COA. Fujimori secured her victory in the June presidential runoff by a margin of fewer than 50,000 votes, capturing 50.135% of the ballot against leftist candidate Roberto Sánchez’s 49.865%, according to Newscord. Her electoral success extends a broader rightward shift across Latin America.
Keiko Fujimori Sworn In as Peru’s President Following Narrow Runoff Victory
The 51-year-old leader becomes Peru’s first-ever elected female head of state, taking over from interim President José María Balcázar as detailed by Reuters. Fujimori enters the presidential palace as the country’s tenth president since 2016, following a turbulent decade defined by political instability in which no leader completed a full five-year term. Her ticket included Luis Galarreta as first vice president and Miguel Torres as second vice president for the 2026-2031 period, certified by Peru’s National Jury of Elections (JNE).
Political Dynasties, Regional Diplomacy, and Cabinet Formation
Fujimori is the daughter of former President Alberto Fujimori, who led the country in the 1990s. Ahead of the inauguration ceremony, international dignitaries gathered in Lima, including U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau, Argentine President Javier Milei, Antonio Kast of Chile, and Rodrigo Paz of Bolivia.
In her inaugural address, Reuters noted that the president called for national unity: I assume office with the firmness needed to govern, but also with the sensitivity required to listen to and heal the wounds of our people.
Prior to taking her oath, Fujimori named former central bank board member Elmer Cuba as economy minister alongside her prime minister and foreign minister during a July 27 press conference. Her newly appointed prime minister must present the government’s legislative agenda to Congress for approval via a vote of confidence within 30 days of taking office. Her party, Popular Force, is expected to hold the largest minority bloc in a newly bicameral Congress, where the incoming coalition secured the presidency of the Senate while the opposition won leadership of the Chamber of Deputies.
Core Policy Pledges and Economic Stance
During her campaign, Fujimori pledged to tackle rising crime with an “iron fist,” drawing inspiration from policies implemented by Salvadorean President Nayib Bukele, including plans to build a megaprison modeled after El Salvador’s Cecot penitentiary. To protect judicial officials, she intends to introduce reforms allowing judges to conceal their identities during criminal trials. On the socioeconomic front, she announced a 15% increase in the national minimum wage and pledged to reorganize social services to combat rural malnutrition.
Her policy agenda addresses several key areas:
- Security Reforms: Constructing a Salvadoran-style megaprison and shielding judges’ identities in criminal proceedings.
- Economic Measures: Enacting a 15% minimum wage hike and appointing Elmer Cuba to lead the economy ministry.
- Social Welfare: Reorganizing social services to target malnutrition in rural communities.
Despite political friction during the election—including dismissed legal challenges from her opponent regarding overseas consulate votes—Peru maintains one of the most stable economies in Latin America. The central bank keeps benchmark interest rates below 5%, though critics continue to highlight economic disparities between coastal regions and communities in the Andean highlands. Meanwhile, opposition leaders have urged the new administration to reverse legislation from the previous legislature that critics argue weakens organized crime enforcement, and have called for an investigation into civilian deaths that occurred during anti-government protests in late 2022 and early 2023.