Conservative leader Keiko Fujimori was sworn in as Peru’s president on Tuesday after winning a tight June runoff by fewer than 50,000 votes. Taking office as the country’s ninth leader in a decade, she aims to reduce crime, boost economic growth, and stabilize turbulent national politics.
Keiko Fujimori officially assumed the presidency in Lima on Tuesday, becoming the first-ever elected female head of state in Peruvian history. The 51-year-old politician, who is the daughter of former President Alberto Fujimori, secured the presidency after a runoff on June 7, defeating her leftist opponent by a very narrow margin.
Her inauguration makes her Peru’s ninth president in a decade, a turbulent political stretch in which no leader completed a full five-year term and only three were elected by popular vote. The transfer of power marks a significant moment for the country’s political landscape, returning one of its most influential political dynasties to the executive office after years of failed bids.
Fujimori, a four-time presidential candidate and leader of Peru’s largest political party, overcame substantial political baggage, including multiple election losses, to defeat left-wing congressman Roberto Sánchez by fewer than 50,000 votes.
Regional Shift and International Alignment in South America
Fujimori’s victory and swearing-in extend a broader rightward shift across South America, joining conservative administrations in neighboring nations. High-profile regional leaders attended the ceremony in Lima, including Javier Milei in Argentina and José Antonio Kast in Chile, alongside Daniel Noboa in Ecuador.
The change in leadership also comes none too soon for liberal democracy in the Western Hemisphere amid the presence of communist China growing in the country alongside a boom in transnational organized crime. Among the invited guests figuring for the transfer of the head of the Peruvian State was Felipe VI, who was invited to a dinner with the interim and outgoing president, José María Balcázar, at the Government Palace, and attended the inauguration of Keiko Fujimori in Congress. Also attending was the leader of the People’s Party, Alberto Núñez Feijóo, who held a videoconference with the president-elect. In the call, Fujimori thanked him for his support, while the Spanish leader conveyed his backing.
Domestic Pledges, Cabinet Appointments, and Legislative Realities
In her inaugural address, Fujimori called for reconciliation after a close election race marked by allegations of fraud. She stated, 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,
and added, We must have the courage to face our reality head-on, without anesthesia, without makeup, and without half-truths.
As a former congresswoman, she centered her campaign around promises to improve security, and she is hoping to stabilize Peru’s turbulent politics, reduce crime and boost economic growth.
“Asumo el cargo con la firmeza necesaria para gobernar, pero también con la sensibilidad…”
Keiko Fujimori, President of Peru
Governing through Congress will test the administration’s political strategy. Fujimori’s Popular Force party and its main ally, Popular Renovation, will hold half the senate seats once the new legislature is installed, making it harder for opposing legislators to attempt to remove her as president, while her party also leads the largest minority bloc in Congress.
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