Keiko Fujimori was officially declared the winner of Peru’s June 7 presidential runoff election by the country’s electoral authority on July 3, 2026 [1]. She narrowly defeated Roberto Sanchez with about 50.13% of the vote to his approximately 49.86%, a difference of roughly 50,000 votes out of 18 million cast [2, 3]. Fujimori received 9,223,000 votes, while Sanchez garnered over 9,173,000 [3].
The runoff followed a general election in April in which Fujimori and Sanchez advanced after beating 33 other candidates [1, 3]. This marks Fujimori’s fourth presidential campaign. If confirmed, she will become Peru’s ninth president in 10 years [3].
Fujimori is the daughter of former President Alberto Fujimori, whose government was authoritarian and convicted of human rights abuses and corruption [1, 3]. She campaigned on cracking down on crime with an "iron fist" amid public concerns over rising violence [1, 3].
On July 4, Fujimori gave remarks saying, "We’re going to identify all the best practices, initiatives, and projects that have yielded results so that they can continue. Today marks the beginning of a new era for Peru — an era of responsibility, dialogue, and results to restore confidence in our institutions" [2]. She vowed to unite the country and restore faith in institutions through responsibility and dialogue [1, 2].
The US State Department congratulated Fujimori on her victory and expressed interest in strengthening bilateral cooperation on security and trade with Peru [3].
Fujimori said, "I receive with profound gratitude the trust that millions of Peruvians have placed in me. A new stage begins. We assume it with responsibility, humility, and a deep sense of duty. Each day of this transition process is an opportunity to listen, engage in dialogue, and arrive prepared at the start of the new government" [3].
