Laura Gamba Fadul
29 July 2026•Update: 29 July 2026
Keiko Fujimori was sworn in as Peru's president Tuesday, becoming the country's first democratically elected female head of state.
As she began her 2026–2031 term, the 51-year-old conservative leader wasted no time unveiling a hardline security agenda, authorizing the Armed Forces to assume responsibility for maintaining public order in regions most affected by organized crime.
Speaking before the Legislative Palace in Lima, Fujimori declared a "war" on criminal organizations, drug traffickers and illegal mining operations across the Andean nation.
“During states of emergency, the Armed Forces will temporarily take the lead in security operations and maintaining public order, in close coordination with the National Police,” she said during her inaugural address to Congress. “Wherever organized crime, drug trafficking and illegal mining have wrested control from the state, we will make use of all the tools that the Constitution makes available to the government.”
Beyond military deployments, Fujimori pledged to comprehensively strengthen the National Police by restoring political support, improving equipment and expanding the institution's authority.
To address rising living costs and economic stagnation, she announced a 15% increase in the national minimum wage from 1,130 soles ($332) per month to 1,300 soles ($382). She also reaffirmed her commitment to maintaining Peru's free-market economic framework while pressing ahead with sweeping public security reforms.
The ceremony was marked by visible political polarization within the chamber. Seconds before Fujimori began her speech, a coalition of opposition lawmakers -- including members of Juntos por el Peru and Ahora Nacion -- staged a walkout. Dressed in black and wearing mourning ribbons, the opposition legislators shouted: “Justice for the victims!” holding up images of people killed during the 1990-2000 government of her father, the late Alberto Fujimori, who was jailed for crimes against humanity. Keiko remained silent at the podium until the lawmakers exited.
Despite domestic tensions, the inauguration drew high-profile international dignitaries including King Felipe VI of Spain alongside regional presidents Daniel Noboa of Ecuador, Jose Antonio Kast of Chile, Rodrigo Paz of Bolivia and Javier Milei of Argentina.
Milei and Fujimori held a meeting, during which they discussed the importance of strengthening bilateral cooperation in strategic areas such as the economy, security, science, technology and innovation.
The event marked President Milei’s first international trip since sparking a diplomatic rift with Brazil over critical remarks directed at President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva during a political event in Sao Paulo in support of Senator Flavio Bolsonaro’s presidential nomination.
Fujimori's ascension reflects a broader rightward shift across Latin America, where voters facing economic uncertainty and rising crime rates have increasingly turned to conservative governance.
