Key facts
- Keiko Fujimori was sworn in as Peru's president on Tuesday, July 28, 2026.
- She is Peru's first female head of state.
- Fujimori's Popular Force party and its ally control half the Senate seats.
- She pledged to combat crime with an "iron fist" and build a mega-prison.
- Opposition leaders are calling for the repeal of laws weakening anti-crime efforts.
Conservative leader Keiko Fujimori was sworn in as Peru's president on Tuesday, July 28, 2026, becoming the country's first female head of state. She narrowly won the June election by fewer than 50,000 votes, returning Fujimorism to power after 26 years. The 51-year-old leader of the Popular Force party, whose father Alberto Fujimori ruled Peru from 1990 to 2000, takes office promising to restore political stability, tackle rising crime, and revive economic growth after a decade of political turmoil.
Peru has had nine presidents in the past decade, with only three elected by popular vote. The others took office after their predecessors resigned or were removed by Congress, often amid corruption scandals. Fujimori enters office with strong congressional backing; her Popular Force party and its main ally, Popular Renovation, control half the seats in the newly installed Senate, making it more difficult for lawmakers to remove the president.
Security was a central theme of Fujimori's campaign as Peru grapples with growing organised crime and extortion. She has pledged to govern with an "iron fist," including plans to build a mega-prison modelled on El Salvador's Cecot facility and allow judges to conceal their identities during criminal trials for security reasons. She has also pledged to boost infrastructure investment by making it easier for government agencies to partner with private investors.
Opposition leaders have urged Fujimori's incoming administration to repeal laws passed by the previous Congress that critics say have weakened efforts to combat organised crime. Fujimori will lead a deeply polarized country, with strong backing in coastal areas but facing opposition from the highlands.