Keiko Fujimori takes office as president of Peru with the promise of a ‘safe, prosperous, and united’ country

Twenty-six years after Alberto Fujimori resigned via fax from Japan, as his government crumbled following the exposure of a widespread corruption scandal, Fujimorism has returned to power in Peru. His daughter, Keiko Fujimori, will be sworn in as president of the Republic on July 28, the day Peru commemorates its independence. At 51, she becomes the first woman elected by popular vote to lead the country. Her inauguration brings to a close a long journey marked by three failed presidential campaigns, but it also ushers in a government born amid deep polarization: for some, it represents the promise of economic stability; for others, the return of a political project that rubs salt into wounds that never fully healed. Fujimori received the presidential sash amid applause after taking the oath of office and vowed to lead a “safe, prosperous, and united” country.

The leader of Fuerza Popular assumes the presidency after winning the election by a narrow margin — less than 50,000 votes over leftist candidate Roberto Sánchez. And she does so championing the legacy of her father, Alberto Fujimori, the former president convicted of crimes against humanity and corruption, who died a free man in 2024 and whose figure continues to polarize Peruvian society. “Dad, today Peru remembers you, and millions carry you in their hearts. I know you’re with me on this very important day,” she wrote on Tuesday morning.

The day began with the traditional Te Deum at the Cathedral Basilica of Lima. Cardinal Carlos Castillo, Archbishop of Lima, stirred the congregation that morning with a homily in which he denounced politicians who “use religion for partisan gain and to win votes,” while at the same time wishing that “the Church would not question” reality. “Let us abandon the pettiness of thinking only of our own individual advancement and that of the group to which we belong, and instead seek the common good of all,” he said. The cardinal concluded his Mass by remembering the victims of state repression in recent years.

At noon, at the Congress of the Republic, Keiko Fujimori was sworn in and delivered her address to the nation. On Tuesday, her cabinet will also be sworn in; so far, she has confirmed only three names: Luis Galarreta as President of the Council of Ministers, Elmer Cuba as Minister of Economy and Finance, and Carlos Espá as Minister of Foreign Affairs. The final composition of the cabinet will be one of the first indicators of whether the new president opts for an inclusive executive branch or concentrates power within her inner political circle.

Fujimori’s inauguration is expected to put an end to a decade of political and institutional instability — a period for which her detractors hold her largely responsible, given the role that Fuerza Popular played in the successive clashes between the executive branch and Congress. Since 2016, Peru has had nine presidents, most of them serving interim terms, with low public approval ratings or governments plagued by ongoing political crises. The change in leadership also brings to a close the cycle led by José María Balcázar, whose interim term was marked by silence and obscurity.

The transfer of power was preceded by an unusual controversy. Fernando Rospigliosi, president of the outgoing Congress and leader of Fuerza Popular, maintained that Balcázar’s term ended on July 27 and publicly urged him to hand over the presidential sash one day before the official ceremony. The claim was challenged by constitutional experts, who warned of the risk of creating a power vacuum. On Tuesday, Balcázar handed over the presidential sash. It was the new president of Congress, Miguel Torres, who placed it on Fujimori. Torres is the second vice president-elect and was elected president of the Senate the day before.

International presence and protests

The ceremony featured a large international presence. Among the first dignitaries to arrive in Lima were King Felipe VI of Spain and U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau, who is leading the delegation sent by Washington. Also in attendance were China’s Minister of Science and Technology, Yin Hejun, and Japan’s Foreign Minister, Horii Iwao. From across the continent, notable attendees include Presidents Javier Milei of Argentina; Daniel Noboa of Ecuador; Santiago Peña of Paraguay; Yamandú Orsi of Uruguay; José Raúl Mulino of Panama; Nasry Asfura of Honduras; and Mike Eman, the prime minister of Aruba. In contrast, the governments of Mexico, Brazil, and Venezuela have not sent high-level representatives.

Outside Congress, the new government’s inauguration took place amid a climate of open political confrontation. Various human rights groups, student organizations, and relatives of victims of state violence have called for a national mobilization under the slogan “Keiko does not represent me. For justice, memory, and truth.” Among the most symbolic groups are the relatives of the victims of the La Cantuta and Barrios Altos massacres, two of the most emblematic episodes of human rights violations during Alberto Fujimori’s regime. “We are not going to sit down and talk with her, and we will never publicly recognize her as president,” declared Gisela Ortiz, a relative of one of the victims of La Cantuta and a former minister of culture.

The first day of the administration also foreshadows the challenges that mark the start of the five-year term. In addition to setting the course for the economy and foreign policy, Fujimori will have to respond to a rising wave of crime, address the effects of a new El Niño event, and oversee the reconstruction of Pumpunya, the town in the central highlands devastated days ago by an earthquake. Also on the agenda will be decisions with high political stakes, such as the requests for pardons from former presidents Pedro Castillo and Alejandro Toledo — issues that will test Fujimori’s promise to govern for a country that enters this transition deeply divided.

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