Lima, Peru — Peru’s National Office of Electoral Processes (ONPE) has confirmed conservative candidate Keiko Fujimori as the winner of the country’s presidential runoff, ending weeks of uncertainty after one of the closest elections in the nation’s history.
According to the official results, finalized after 100 percent of ballots were counted, Fujimori secured 50.13 percent of the vote, narrowly defeating Roberto Sánchez, who received 49.86 percent. The final margin was 49,641 votes out of more than 18 million valid ballots.
The result now awaits formal certification by Peru’s National Elections Jury, which will resolve any remaining administrative matters before officially declaring Fujimori president-elect. She is scheduled to be inaugurated on July 28, succeeding interim President José María Balcázar for a five-year term.
The vote count remained exceptionally close for nearly three weeks, with both candidates exchanging the lead as ballots were processed. Fujimori ultimately secured victory with strong support from Peruvians living abroad, particularly in the United States and Europe.
Sánchez rejected the outcome and said he would not recognize a Fujimori administration, alleging irregularities in the overseas vote. However, Peru’s electoral authorities and international election observers have reported no evidence of fraud or irregularities that would have altered the final result.
Fujimori’s victory marks the return of Fujimorism to Peru’s presidential office for the first time in 26 years, following the end of the government led by her father, former President Alberto Fujimori, in 2000. Keiko Fujimori had previously contested and lost the presidential elections in 2011, 2016, and 2021 while remaining one of the country’s most influential political figures through her party, Fuerza Popular.
The election also highlighted Peru’s deep political and regional divisions. Fujimori performed strongly in Lima, much of the coastal region, and among overseas voters, drawing significant backing from urban and business communities. Sánchez dominated the Andean south and several rural regions, where concerns over poverty, inequality, and limited state services remain central political issues.
Peru’s next administration will inherit a country facing persistent political instability, rising security challenges, and widespread public distrust of government institutions following years of presidential impeachments, resignations, and caretaker administrations.
During her campaign, Fujimori pledged to restore political stability, strengthen public security, and promote economic growth while seeking national unity. Her victory is also viewed by political analysts as part of a broader resurgence of conservative political movements across Latin America.
Despite the election’s conclusion, the narrow margin underscores Peru’s deeply polarized political landscape, suggesting that addressing long-standing economic disparities, institutional reforms, and social divisions will remain among the incoming government’s greatest challenges.
SOURCE : AGENCIES | Follow Us: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Youtube
