Keiko Fujimori Becomes Peru's First Female President

On July 28, 2026, Keiko Fujimori was sworn in as the first female president of Peru, coinciding with the nation's 205th anniversary of independence. Fujimori, a conservative and founder of the Fuerza Popular party, won the June 7 runoff election with 50.1% of the vote, defeating leftist candidate Roberto Sanchez. She succeeds interim leader Jose Maria Balcazar for a term lasting until 2031.

Two days prior to her inauguration, Fujimori's Popular Force party secured the Senate presidency in a right-wing alliance with the Popular Renewal party. Miguel Torres was elected Senate president with 30 of 60 votes, while Alejandro Muñante of Popular Renewal took the first vice presidency. This leadership shift marks the first time Peru has utilized a bicameral system in over 30 years, operating under a reformed constitution intended to curb frequent presidential impeachments.

Fujimori campaigned on a hardline security platform to combat gang violence and extortion, proposing the expulsion of undocumented persons and requiring prisoners to work for food. She also pledged to address the El Nino climate phenomenon. Despite the electoral victory, the incoming administration faces a governance crisis, as no single political party holds a majority in the new Congress.