Keiko Fujimori was sworn in as president of Peru, completing a long pursuit of the office after a narrow June runoff victory. The inauguration took place at Congress in Lima, where Fujimori arrived before walking to the presidential palace as the country’s new head of state.
Fujimori, a conservative leader, won the June presidential runoff by fewer than 50,000 votes. Her victory made her Peru’s ninth president in a decade, underscoring the instability that has shaped the country’s recent politics. In that period, only three presidents reached office through a popular vote; others assumed power after predecessors resigned or were removed by Congress amid protests or corruption scandals.
The 51-year-old took office with a stated agenda focused on political stability, public security and economic growth. During the campaign, Fujimori made crime a central issue, promising an “iron fist” approach in a country where extortion rackets have become a serious concern. She also pledged to make it easier for public agencies to work with private investors on infrastructure projects.
In remarks on inauguration day, Fujimori said the military would temporarily lead security operations in areas affected by crime. She also said her government would reorganize social services to address malnutrition in rural communities, raise the minimum wage by 15% and prioritize preparations for the latest onset of El Niño, the warming weather pattern that can bring flooding to Peru’s coast.
Her political position in Congress may be stronger than that of several recent presidents. Fujimori’s Popular Force party and its principal ally, Popular Renovation, are set to hold half of the seats in the Senate once the new legislature is installed, a balance that could make removal efforts by opponents more difficult.
Fujimori’s rise also carries the weight of her family’s political history. She is the daughter of Alberto Fujimori, Peru’s former president in the 1990s, whose government is credited with stabilizing the economy and defeating terror groups but later took an authoritarian turn. He was imprisoned for human rights abuses committed under his rule by the Peruvian military, received a pardon in December 2023 and died in September of the following year.
The inauguration unfolded amid visible opposition. Some opponents protested outside parliament, including lawmakers holding photos of people killed during anti-government demonstrations in late 2022 and early 2023 after the removal of former President Pedro Castillo. Relatives of the dead said they did not recognize Fujimori as president.
Opposition figures have also urged the new government to reverse laws passed by the previous legislature that critics say weakened tools against organized crime, including measures affecting preventive arrests, corruption cases involving political parties and confiscation of criminal assets. They have called for a commission to investigate the deaths of 50 civilians during the earlier protests.
The election exposed geographic and social divisions. Fujimori drew broad support in Lima and along the Pacific coast, while highland voters, including areas with larger Indigenous populations, strongly favored left-wing candidate Roberto Sanchez. Sanchez challenged the result over alleged irregularities in votes counted at Peruvian consulates abroad, but electoral authorities rejected his complaints.
