Keiko Fujimori was sworn in as Peru's president on July 28 after a runoff decided by 49,641 votes. The conservative leader took office on her fourth presidential attempt, promising a forceful response to crime while reviving debate over the record of her father, former President Alberto Fujimori.
Peru's National Jury of Elections formally proclaimed Fujimori the winner with 9,223,396 valid votes, or 50.135 percent, against Roberto Sánchez's 9,173,755 votes, or 49.865 percent. The official tally covered the June 7 runoff and gave Fujimori a narrow but certified mandate.
A close result delivers a certified victory
Fujimori, 51, defeated left-wing lawmaker Roberto Sánchez after losing presidential elections in 2011, 2016 and 2021. She became Peru's ninth president in 10 years, a period in which successive leaders resigned, were removed or were replaced before completing their terms.
The narrow result leaves the new government facing a nearly even division among voters. It also ends Fujimori's long pursuit of the office once held by her father, whose political record continues to divide Peru.
Her father's record remains central
Alberto Fujimori governed Peru from 1990 to 2000. Supporters credit his government with defeating the Shining Path insurgency and bringing hyperinflation under control, while opponents point to its authoritarian turn and abuses committed during the campaign against armed groups.
Alberto Fujimori was convicted of corruption and crimes against humanity and served 16 years in prison, while relatives of victims of state violence protested before his daughter's inauguration. Keiko Fujimori entered public life at 19 and has remained a central figure in Peruvian politics for three decades.
Critics of the new president fear that her security program could weaken civil liberties. Her supporters view tougher enforcement as a response to extortion, contract killings and criminal gangs during what international reports describe as Peru's worst security crisis in decades.
Security proposals draw on El Salvador's prison model
Fujimori campaigned on building new prisons and adopting elements of Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele's approach to crime. Her proposals include anonymous judges in criminal trials, mandatory prison work and deportations of migrants living in Peru without legal residency.
The Associated Press reported that Fujimori promised four new prisons, including a mega-prison modeled on El Salvador's Terrorism Confinement Center, along with militarized borders aimed at drug trafficking. These remain policy commitments rather than evidence of results, and the sources reviewed did not provide final legislation, budgets or construction schedules.
Senate arithmetic gives the government leverage
Fuerza Popular is the largest bloc in Peru's Congress. Together with its main right-wing ally, it holds half the seats in the newly installed Senate, giving Fujimori a stronger legislative base than several recent Peruvian presidents had.
The bloc does not by itself give right-wing parties the majority needed to pass the government's full program. It may, however, make presidential removal more difficult and place the administration in a stronger position during negotiations over security and justice bills.
Frequently asked questions
How close was Peru's presidential runoff?
Fujimori won by 49,641 valid votes. Peru's election authority recorded 50.135 percent for Fujimori and 49.865 percent for Sánchez.
How many times had Fujimori run for president?
The 2026 campaign was her fourth. She lost the elections held in 2011, 2016 and 2021.
What are the main security proposals?
Her campaign proposed four new prisons, anonymous judges in criminal cases, prison work requirements, border militarization and deportations of migrants without legal residency. Detailed legislation and implementation schedules were not available in the sources reviewed.
How much support does Fujimori have in the Senate?
Fuerza Popular and its main right-wing ally hold half the seats. That gives the government leverage but not an automatic majority for its agenda.
