Keiko Fujimori wins Peru's presidential election by razor-thin margin

A razor-thin victory

After nearly a month of ballot reviews and street protests, Peru's National Jury of Elections on Friday officially declared conservative Keiko Fujimori the winner of the June 7 presidential runoff. She received 9,223,000 votes, or 50.135% of the total, while leftist congressman Roberto Sanchez garnered 9,173,000 votes, or 49.865%. The difference of about 50,000 ballots out of 18 million cast was even narrower than her 2021 loss to Pedro Castillo, who was later impeached and jailed. Fujimori, 51, had trailed Sanchez earlier in the count but was boosted by a wide margin among overseas voters, where she won 65% of the vote.

A new chapter begins. We take it with responsibility, humility and a deep sense of duty.

A polarizing figure with a controversial legacy

Fujimori is the eldest daughter of Alberto Fujimori, who governed Peru from 1990 to 2000, defeating the Shining Path insurgency and stabilizing the economy before being convicted of corruption and human rights abuses. He died in 2024 after 16 years in prison. Keiko Fujimori served as first lady at age 19 after her parents separated, later studying business administration in the United States. She ran for president three times before, reaching the runoff each time. Her campaign centered on law and order, promising a crackdown on crime and irregular migration, issues polls showed were voters' top concern.

A divided nation and contested result

Sanchez, a first-time candidate who drew strong support from Peru's rural and impoverished regions, has refused to recognize Fujimori's government. He alleged, without providing evidence, that overseas vote tallies were mishandled and filed a complaint with the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights. His supporters have staged marches contesting the outcome. The election exposed deep polarization in a country that has cycled through nine presidents in a decade, with several ousted over corruption or abuse of power.

International congratulations and market relief

The result was quickly welcomed by right-wing leaders across Latin America. Argentina's Javier Milei, Chile's Jose Antonio Kast and El Salvador's Nayib Bukele congratulated Fujimori. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the Trump administration looked forward to deepening cooperation on security, investment and trade. Investors, who had feared a Sanchez victory, reacted positively. Rating agency Moody's issued a report saying a Fujimori government would provide policy stability for Peru, a major exporter of copper, gold and fruit.

The road ahead

Fujimori will be sworn in on July 28 for a five-year term, with Luis Galarreta as vice president. Her party, Popular Force, holds the largest bloc in Congress but lacks an outright majority, requiring coalition-building to govern. She inherits a deeply polarized electorate, but constitutional changes that make it harder to remove a president may offer her more stability than her predecessors enjoyed.