Conservative leader Keiko Fujimori took office as Peru’s president following her election victory in the June runoff by a margin of fewer than 50,000 votes. The 51-year-old, who is the leader of Peru’s largest political party and a four-time presidential candidate, officially becomes the country’s ninth president in a decade. Her Popular Force party and its primary ally, Popular Renewal, will hold half the senate seats in the incoming legislature, providing her administration with substantial legislative support.
Fujimori’s campaign centered on addressing Peru’s security challenges, particularly organized extortion operations affecting the nation. Her platform includes infrastructure development through increased private-sector partnerships, reforms to the criminal justice system, and efforts to reduce poverty in rural areas. She pledged to implement crime-fighting measures similar to policies adopted in El Salvador, including construction of a large-scale penitentiary, and announced plans to conceal judicial identities to protect judges overseeing criminal trials. Additionally, she outlined a 15% increase to the national minimum wage and plans to combat malnutrition in rural communities.
Fujimori faces significant political challenges, including pressure from opposition figures to reverse legislation that critics argue undermines organized crime enforcement and to investigate civilian deaths during anti-government protests in late 2022 and early 2023. While she secured substantial support in Lima and coastal regions, voters in the Andean highlands, home to larger Indigenous populations, predominantly supported left-wing candidate Roberto Sanchez. Her election victory aligns with broader regional trends, as conservative candidates have secured major presidential elections across Latin America in recent years amid voter concerns regarding crime, immigration, and economic performance.
Despite political divisions, Peru maintains relative economic stability within the Latin American context, with a conservative central bank approach and controlled public spending. The incoming administration must navigate concerns about legislative proposals that weaken crime-fighting capabilities while addressing the growing gap in living standards between coastal and highland communities.
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