Keiko Fujimori has been declared the winner of Peru's presidential election, securing 50.135% of the vote in a runoff held on June 7. The final certification by Peru's electoral court shows a margin of less than 50,000 votes over left-wing candidate Roberto Sánchez, who received 49.865%.
This marks the fourth presidential bid for Fujimori, 51, the daughter of former President Alberto Fujimori. She campaigned on a promise to crack down on organized crime. Her victory, alongside Abelardo de la Espriella's in Colombia, is seen by some as a shift toward the right in Latin American politics.
"Each day of this transition process is an opportunity to listen, engage in dialogue and arrive prepared at the start of the new government," Fujimori stated, acknowledging her narrow mandate. She is expected to assume the presidency on July 28, becoming Peru's ninth president in a decade.
Sánchez, 57, has alleged the election was "seriously compromised," citing irregularities in the strong support for Fujimori among Peruvian expatriates, and his party has appealed for the vote to be nullified. While Sánchez's platform focused on broad economic reforms, Fujimori's campaign capitalized on public concerns about crime and political instability. Her proposals include a military crackdown on extortion, attracting private investment, and expelling undocumented immigrants involved in criminal activity.
Fujimori's father, Alberto Fujimori, was imprisoned for crimes against humanity, including extrajudicial killings and forced sterilizations during his authoritarian rule. Keiko Fujimori previously ran unsuccessfully in 2011, 2016, and 2021, losing by similarly close margins during a period of significant political instability in Peru.
Her inauguration will follow that of Colombia's president-elect, Abelardo de la Espriella, who also won a close election with a platform focused on combating organized crime. This trend of right-wing leaders gaining power in Latin America includes figures like El Salvador's Nayib Bukele and Ecuador's Daniel Noboa, some of whom have aligned with policies resembling those of former US President Donald Trump. The ascendancy of these leaders positions Brazil's Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva as a prominent left-wing figure in the region.