Keiko Fujimori Takes Office After Peru’s Narrow Election Result

Keiko Fujimori was sworn in as Peru’s president in Lima on July 28, beginning a five-year term after the country’s electoral authority formally proclaimed her the winner of the June 7 runoff. Her administration now faces immediate pressure over extortion and organized crime, while opposition groups are demanding accountability for deaths during protests and warning that Peru’s institutions remain fragile.

The National Jury of Elections, or JNE, proclaimed Fujimori president for the 2026-2031 term in Resolution No. 1625-2026-JNE. The resolution recorded 9,223,396 valid votes for Fujimori’s Fuerza Popular and 9,173,755 for Roberto Sánchez of Juntos por el Perú.

That produced a margin of 49,641 votes. Fujimori received 50.135% of the valid vote, compared with 49.865% for Sánchez.

Election result is formally settled

The JNE said all prior stages had been completed, the relevant controversies resolved and the vote count concluded. It also found no challenged tally sheets or pending appeals that would prevent proclamation. The result is therefore formally settled under Peru’s electoral process, even though political disagreements remain.

An Organization of American States observation mission separately said on June 24 that, with 99.86% of tally sheets processed at that stage, it had not identified irregularities in Peru or abroad that would have altered voters’ decision. The OAS described the review as thorough but said it would continue following the official proclamation. Its statement was a review-stage assessment, not a substitute for the JNE’s final action.

Fujimori’s victory follows a decade marked by repeated presidential turnover and conflict between Peru’s executive and legislative branches, according to Associated Press reporting. The narrow result also leaves her governing under close scrutiny from voters and opposition lawmakers.

Security will be an early test

Fujimori has identified extortion and organized crime as central challenges for her government. Her announced agenda includes stronger security operations, economic and infrastructure goals, expanded social-service efforts, a proposed minimum-wage increase and preparations for El Niño.

Those remain campaign and inauguration commitments rather than completed government actions. The first test will be whether her administration converts them into legislation, executive measures, budgets and operations that can be evaluated publicly.

Extortion has become a major political concern in Peru, particularly for businesses and transportation services. Delivering on the security agenda will also test the capacity of prosecutors, courts and local authorities to investigate and prosecute organized criminal networks.

Opposition pressure extends beyond policy

Fujimori’s inauguration was accompanied by protests and demands for accountability over deaths during the 2022-23 unrest that followed former President Pedro Castillo’s removal. Associated Press reported that 50 civilians were killed during those protests, a figure opposition voices continue to cite in calling for investigations.

The deaths are an accountability issue for Peru’s institutions and should not be presented as personal responsibility by Fujimori. They are part of the political environment she inherits: a divided electorate, distrust between political camps and continuing disputes over whether recent laws have made organized-crime investigations more difficult.

Those claims about the laws come from opposition leaders and are not presented here as an independent legal finding. Their political importance, however, is clear. Fujimori will need to govern while facing scrutiny over both public security and the conduct of state institutions.

What to watch next

The next meaningful indicators will be concrete appointments and decisions: the formation of Fujimori’s cabinet, her security leadership, legislative proposals, funding for infrastructure and social programs, and any official accountability process related to the 2022-23 deaths.

Peru’s election is formally settled, and the OAS reported no identified irregularities that would have changed the outcome at the review stage. The political question is whether Fujimori can turn a victory decided by fewer than 50,000 votes into stable governing authority. Her presidency begins with legal certainty at the ballot box but substantial institutional and social pressure outside it.

Key sources

• Peru’s National Jury of Elections — Resolution No. 1625-2026-JNE
• Associated Press — Keiko Fujimori is inaugurated as Peru’s president following a narrow election victory
• Organization of American States — Post-electoral review statement