Keiko Fujimori declared president of Peru, Fujimorism returns to government after more than 20 years

Three weeks after the second round of Peru’s presidential election was held, right-wing candidate Keiko Fujimori has been officially confirmed as the winner.

The final results published by the National Office of Electoral Processes (ONPE) show that Fujimori received 50.13% of the vote, while her rival Roberto Sanchez secured 49.86%.

The gap between them was less than 50,000 votes out of more than 18 million ballots cast, making this contest one of the closest in Latin American history.

With this victory, the 51-year-old returns Fujimorism to power, more than 20 years after the end of the rule of her father, Alberto Fujimori, who led Peru from 1990 to 2000.

The former president was driven from power amid scandals and was later convicted of corruption and crimes against humanity.

For several days, Keiko Fujimori’s team had been waiting only for the formal confirmation of the result, as the Fuerza Popular candidate had built a lead that, according to calculations by electoral authorities, could no longer be overturned.

On the other hand, Roberto Sanchez, 57, described as the political successor to former president Pedro Castillo, has signaled that he will not accept the result.

He has called for the votes of the Peruvian diaspora to be annulled, claiming they were accompanied by irregularities and that they influenced his opponent’s victory.

On Saturday, Sanchez led a protest march in Lima for the second consecutive weekend, where hundreds of supporters denounced what he described as “a serious attack on the electoral process.”

“We will call on international institutions to recognize the will of the people,” he declared during a speech delivered before the protesters.

These elections are expected to bring to a close a long period of political instability in Peru, a country that since 2016 has had eight presidents because of successive political and institutional crises.

The transfer of power from the current president, José María Balcázar, is scheduled to take place on July 28.

Under Peru’s Constitution, the president’s term is five years.

After the results were published, Keiko Fujimori acknowledged that she would be taking charge of a deeply polarized country and called for dialogue.

“We know the country is divided. We have a great responsibility to listen to both sides. The door to dialogue is open to Roberto Sanchez and to all political forces,” she said.

In a post on social media, Fujimori also stressed that Peru must move toward “order and hope for all citizens,” promising responsible and inclusive governance.