Peru's New President
Keiko Fujimori secures Peru's presidency in close runoff, making history as first woman leader.
Key Points
Inauguration date: Fujimori will take office on July 28 for a five-year term.
Background and image: She is described as poised and polished, with a penchant for trouser suits and a practiced smile; she grew up around heads of state, became first lady at 19 after her mother split from Fujimori, and trained in the United States as a business administrator.
Election closeness: The campaign occurred amid one of Peru's closest elections in its history, highlighting deep political polarization around crime and instability.
Final tally after weeks of review: Reuters reports the final count was completed after weeks of reviewing contested ballots, with ONPE finishing tallying 100% of the vote.
Overseas ballots irregularities: Sánchez warned he would not recognize a government headed by Fujimori, alleging administrative irregularities in the handling of the overseas portion of the vote.
After four attempts and three runoff defeats, Keiko Fujimori has finally won the Peruvian presidency. Reuters reports that the National Office of Electoral Processes (ONPE) finished counting 100% of ballots on June 29, confirming Fujimori with 50.135% of the vote against leftist rival Roberto Sánchez's 49.865% — a margin of just 49,641 votes out of more than 18.4 million cast.
The 51-year-old conservative becomes Peru's first woman elected to the presidency. Her win marks the return of the "Fujimorismo" movement nearly 25 years after her father Alberto Fujimori left office. She is set to be inaugurated on July 28 for a five-year term, according to The Guardian.
A Three-Week Count Decides Peru's Closest Race
The June 7 runoff ended in what exit polls called a "statistical tie," with Sánchez holding a razor-thin lead on election night. What followed was three weeks of intense ballot review. Special electoral juries examined thousands of disputed votes, including a contested batch of overseas ballots that both sides fought over fiercely, according to The Guardian.
ONPE declared Fujimori the "virtual winner" at 16:14 local time on June 29. The National Jury of Elections (JNE) is expected to formally proclaim her the winner by July 3. Credentials will be handed over on July 15, according to Latin Times.
Sánchez Cries Fraud but Peru's Election Body Holds Firm
Sánchez refused to accept the result. He alleged "administrative irregularities" in how overseas votes were handled and warned he would lead a "coalition of resistance." He said plainly, "I will not recognize a government headed by Fujimori," according to The Guardian.
The overseas vote proved decisive. Fujimori won roughly 65% of the approximately 1.2 million overseas ballots, which offset Sánchez's lead in rural and indigenous areas at home. JNE chief Roberto Burneo called on all parties to "act with democratic responsibility" and confirmed the final proclamation timeline would hold.
Crime Fears and a Decade of Chaos Shaped the Vote
Peru has gone through nine presidents in the last decade due to impeachments and resignations. Voters were exhausted. A 2025 survey found 84% of urban Peruvians feared becoming crime victims — specifically citing extortion and contract killings — within a year, according to Latin Times.
Fujimori ran on "order and hope." She plans a firm-hand approach: military deployment to prisons, stronger border controls, and deportations to fight organized crime. She also vowed to promote private investment and cut bureaucracy. Political analyst Jorge Morel warned the razor-thin margin means her term will likely be "marked by distrust and parliamentary obstructionism."
Fujimori Inherits a Divided Congress and a Complex Legacy
Governing will not be easy. Her Popular Force party won just 22 of 60 Senate seats and 41 of 130 seats in the Chamber of Deputies, meaning she must build a coalition to pass any laws. This is also the first election to restore a bicameral legislature — a Senate and Chamber of Deputies — since 1990, according to The Guardian.
Her father Alberto Fujimori crushed the Shining Path insurgency and tamed hyperinflation but later served 16 years in prison for human rights abuses and corruption. Keiko herself spent over 500 days in pretrial detention. Following the final count, she said: "We will wait for the announcement of the JNE with humility, prudence, and responsibility... we are getting closer to a path of order and hope for all Peruvians," according to Reuters.
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