Keiko Fujimori has been sworn in as Peru’s president after narrowly defeating left-wing candidate Roberto Sanchez in a closely contested run-off election. Fujimori won by fewer than 50,000 votes, securing the presidency after three unsuccessful bids and becoming Peru’s ninth president in a decade.
Her Fuerza Popular party emerged as the largest bloc in Congress, together with its principal ally, controls half of the Senate seats. While the alliance falls short of a working majority, it is expected to provide greater political stability than previous administrations.
Fujimori campaigned on addressing Peru’s worsening security situation, pledging a hardline approach to organised crime. Her proposals include building a mega-prison modelled on El Salvador’s Cecot, introducing anonymous judges, implementing mandatory prison labour, and carrying out mass deportations of foreign criminals.
Her inauguration has also reignited debate over the legacy of her father, former President Alberto Fujimori, who governed Peru during the 1990s before serving 16 years in prison following convictions for corruption and crimes against humanity.
Critics have expressed concern that the new administration’s security agenda could weaken civil liberties. On the eve of her inauguration, relatives of victims of past state abuses held demonstrations in Lima, calling for justice and warning against any return to authoritarian policies.
Keiko Fujimori now takes office facing the dual challenge of tackling rising crime while seeking to bridge deep political divisions that have contributed to years of instability in Peru.
