Keiko Fujimori, Peru’s new president, was sworn in on July 28, becoming the latest in a string of conservative leaders taking office throughout Latin America.
The 51-year-old is the daughter of former President Alberto Fujimori, and the country’s first-ever elected female head of state.
Her narrow victory in June’s run-off brought the return of one of Peru’s most influential and polarizing political dynasties, marking a political comeback following four previous failed bids.
Fujimori became first lady at the age of 19 in 1994, holding the role for six years after her father, Alberto Fujimori, removed her mother, Susana Higuchi, from the role during the couple’s acrimonious separation.
Her father is credited with having stabilized the economy while defeating terror groups, but was later imprisoned for human rights abuses committed under his rule by the Peruvian military. He was pardoned in 2023 and died in September 2024.
In her first address as president, Fujimori called for reconciliation after an election race marred by allegations of fraud and deep divisions within the country.
‘Courage to Face Reality’
“I assume office with the firmness needed to govern, but also with the sensitivity required to listen to and heal the wounds of our people,” she said.
“We must have the courage to face our reality head-on, without anesthesia, without makeup, and without half-truths,” she said, adding that Peru is a country ”battered” by insecurity, poor governance and public distrust.
She pledged to cut unnecessary spending, improve the business climate, and raise the minimum wage.
She becomes Peru’s 10th president since 2016, following a tumultuous political decade in which no leader served a full five-year term.
Her victory forms part of a broader rightward pivot in South and Central America, with a string of recently elected leaders calling for closer ties with the United States and a crackdown on crime.
Conservatives have won seven major presidential elections in Latin America in the past few years, most of them since U.S. President Donald Trump’s inauguration in January 2025.
Keiko Fujimori’s family waves as they arrive at Congress for her inauguration in Lima, Peru, on July 28, 2026. Miguel Paredes/AP Photo
‘Significant Space’ for Trump
The new leader has expressed interest in Peru joining the “Shield of the Americas,” a regional initiative proposed by Trump to combat transnational crime.
Fujimori has said there is “very significant space” for working with the Trump administration. Washington has made one of its strongest diplomatic efforts in years to deepen ties with Peru to counter China’s influence in the region.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio sent his congratulations to the new leader on July 28, as well as to the Peruvian people as they celebrated 205 years since their declaration of independence from Spain.
“The Trump Administration looks forward to working closely with the Fujimori Administration to deepen security cooperation and advance trade and investment. We are optimistic about the future of our partnership and confident that the next chapter of U.S.-Peru relations will be our strongest yet,” Rubio’s statement said.
Peru is the world’s third-largest copper producer and a leading source of critical minerals. With a population of about 34.5 million and strategic Pacific ports, it has one of Latin America’s larger economies, but continues to grapple with poverty, particularly in rural and Andean regions.
U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau attended the inauguration as part of a Washington delegation, and met with Fujimori in Lima before the ceremony.
Latin American leaders including Argentine President Javier Milei, Chilean President Antonio Kast, and Bolivian President Rodrigo Paz were also at the ceremony.
Jesus Perez, of the opposition Together for Peru party, joins opponents of new President Keiko Fujimori during a protest on the day of her inauguration in Lima, Peru, on July 28, 2026. Gerardo Marin/AP Photo
Fraud Allegations, Leftist Protests
Fujimori narrowly defeated leftist Congressman Roberto Sanchez, who has alleged electoral fraud and pledged to lead a left-wing opposition bloc in Congress.
Demonstrations were held by leftist activists to coincide with Tuesday’s inauguration, while lawmakers from Sanchez’s party walked out of Congress and refused to listen to the new president’s speech.
In one of Peru’s closest election results in recent times, Fujimori’s Popular Force party is expected to hold the largest minority bloc in a fragmented Congress, which has returned to a two-chamber structure for the first time in three decades.
Reuters and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
