Conservative politician Keiko Fujimori was sworn in as Peru’s president on Tuesday, following a tight June runoff victory. The 51-year-old takes office as the country’s ninth president in a decade, inheriting a deeply polarized nation and promising to tackle violent crime and social deficits.
Conservative leader Keiko Fujimori officially took office on Tuesday, winning the June presidential runoff by a margin of fewer than 50,000 votes, a victory that confirmed a regional shift in South America toward the conservative wing. At 51 years old, Fujimori assumes the presidency as the nation’s ninth leader in just ten years, highlighting a turbulent decade in which only three of Peru’s presidents have been elected by popular vote, while the rest have come into office after their predecessors resigned or were removed by congress amid protests or corruption scandals. Running for the presidency for the fourth time, Fujimori was declared the winner of the runoff election on Friday after a contest dominated by people’s concerns over surging crime.
The Inauguration Ceremony and Presidential Oath in Lima
During the official ceremony on Tuesday, July 28, Keiko Fujimori juró como presidenta de la República para el periodo 2026-2031 prometiendo que cumpliré y haré cumplir la Constitución Política y las leyes del Perú
. La ceremonia culminó con la imposición de la banda presidencial por parte del presidente del Congreso, Miguel Torres, oficializando el inicio de un nuevo gobierno con la primera mujer presidenta elegida por voto popular. En su juramento, la mandataria reafirmó su compromiso con la democracia, la independencia de poderes y la Constitución, afirmando: Juro que defender esta tierra, la soberanía nacional, la libertad, la democracia y la independencia de los poderes del Estado
.
In her oath, Fujimori also committed to velar por la integridad física y moral de todos los peruanos, con especial atención a quienes han sido históricamente postergados. Asimismo, afirmó que, respetando la libertad de culto, reconocerá la importancia de la Iglesia católica en la formación cultural y moral del Perú, y expresó su compromiso de trabajar incansablemente por un país seguro, próspero y unido
. Concluido el juramento, Keiko Fujimori firmó el acta oficial de investidura, tras lo cual el presidente del Congreso, Miguel Torres, suscribió el documento, retiró la banda presidencial y se la colocó a la nueva mandataria.
Security Plans, Economic Pledges, and Legislative Realities
Fujimori centered her campaign around promises to improve security in Peru, where extortion rackets have become a significant problem. She pledged to fight crime with an “iron fist,” implementing some policies adopted by Salvadorean President Nayib Bukele. She stated she would build a megaprison modeled after the notorious CECOT penitentiary in El Salvador, and will enable judges to hide their identities as they oversee criminal trials in an effort to guarantee their safety. She has also promised to develop infrastructure by making it easier for government agencies to form partnerships with private investors.
Fujimori is the daughter of former President Alberto Fujimori, who led the country in the 1990s and stabilized its economy while defeating terror groups, but was later imprisoned for human rights abuses committed under his rule by the Peruvian military as his government took an authoritarian turn. He was pardoned in December 2023 and died in September the following year.
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.
Opposition Demands and Legislative Concerns
Opposition leaders have asked Fujimori’s incoming government to reverse a series of laws approved by Peru’s last legislature which critics say weaken efforts to fight organized crime. The laws eliminate preventive arrests and stop prosecutors from processing political parties involved in corruption under the same statutes as criminal groups. The laws also make it harder for police to confiscate the goods of criminal groups. Opposition leaders are additionally asking the incoming government to create a commission.