Fujimori Declares ‘New Chapter’ for Peru as Election Victory Confirmed

Peru's conservative president-elect Keiko Fujimori on Friday declared a 'new chapter' for the nation as the country's highest electoral authority formally certified her narrow victory, bringing an end to one of the most tightly contested presidential races in Peruvian history.

The official confirmation ushers in the ninth president in a decade for the Andean nation, which has been plagued by chronic political instability, rising crime, and deep social divisions. Fujimori, 51, will succeed interim leader Jose Maria Balcazar on July 28 and serve until 2031.

'I proclaim Miss Keiko Sofia Fujimori Higuchi as President of the Republic, and Mister Luis Fernando Galarreta Velarde as First Vice President of the Republic,' election chief Roberto Burneo said at a ceremony in Lima.

'Peru needs to restore order in its streets, in its institutions, and in the State,' Fujimori said from her party headquarters in the capital. 'Beyond the joy over this result, we are not going to wait another minute, because we are here to solve the country's problems and start making decisions. We know that citizens expect results.'

The daughter of the late, disgraced former leader Alberto Fujimori inherits a country grappling with powerful organized crime syndicates, a battered economy, and deep public distrust in government institutions. Her victory, by a margin of just 0.27 percentage points—50.135% to 49.865%—reflected a deeply polarized electorate. This was her fourth attempt at the presidency after three prior defeats.

'A new chapter begins,' she wrote on X, echoing her earlier remarks.

Her father, Alberto Fujimori, ruled from 1990 to 2000 and is remembered for crushing Maoist rebel groups and taming hyperinflation. But his legacy was later tarnished by corruption convictions and a sentence for crimes against humanity committed during the government's counterterrorism campaign. Nonetheless, he retains a loyal following among some Peruvians who credit him with restoring stability.

'He wiped out terrorism, that's why I call him Papa Fujimori. Thanks to him there are paved roads, schools in the countryside where nobody used to go,' said Marta Palomino Quispe, who was a teenager when Alberto Fujimori governed.

Keiko Fujimori's leftist rival, Roberto Sanchez, has alleged irregularities in the vote count, but election authorities have already rejected his request to annul the results. Sanchez is now challenging the outcome at the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, raising the possibility of prolonged legal battles that could complicate Fujimori's transition.

Regional right-wing leaders have been quick to congratulate Fujimori, including Argentina's Javier Milei and Chile's Jose Antonio Kast. Colombian hard-right president-elect Abelardo de la Espriella told Fujimori in a video call, 'It will be fantastic to be able to share this presidency with a woman of your qualities, your character, your patriotism, and your courage, Keiko.'

On the international stage, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio signaled a willingness to deepen ties, saying, 'The Trump Administration looks forward to deepening collaboration with the Fujimori Administration to advance security cooperation and to strengthen bilateral cooperation on investment and trade in our region.'

Brazil's leftist President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva also offered congratulations, posting on X, 'Count on Brazil to build together a more prosperous, integrated, democratic and sovereign South America.'

Analysts say Fujimori's immediate challenges will include tackling Peru's soaring crime rates, reviving economic growth, and bridging the deep political rift exposed by the close election. Her ability to govern effectively may depend on building coalitions in a fragmented Congress and addressing widespread public demands for transparency and accountability.