Peru’s National Office of Electoral Processes (ONPE) concluded the count of the 7 June presidential runoff on Monday, confirming Keiko Fujimori of the Fuerza Popular party as the winner with 50.135% of valid votes—a margin of 49,641 ballots over Roberto Sánchez of Juntos por el Perú. The National Electoral Jury (JNE) is expected to formally proclaim her president-elect on 3 July, with inauguration set for 28 July, when she will become the first woman elected to the presidency in Peru’s history.

Fujimori, 51, described the result as bringing the country “closer to starting a path of order and hope” and acknowledged a “practically divided” nation, pledging to keep dialogue open with all political forces. Sánchez, who campaigned as the political heir of imprisoned former president Pedro Castillo, has refused to accept the outcome, alleging without evidence that overseas voting was marred by irregularities. His party sought to annul thousands of ballots, but electoral authorities rejected the challenges. Sánchez led street protests in Lima and said he would appeal to international bodies, while the OAS observer mission stated it had seen no evidence of systemic fraud.

The victory returns the Fujimori political dynasty to power after a quarter-century. Keiko Fujimori is the daughter of Alberto Fujimori, who governed Peru from 1990 to 2000 and was later convicted of corruption and crimes against humanity. She had lost three previous presidential runoffs, in 2011, 2016 and 2021. Viewed from regional capitals, her win consolidates a rightward trend in Latin America, following conservative victories in Colombia and Argentina. The OAS secretary-general congratulated Fujimori, and Argentine President Javier Milei and Bolivian President Rodrigo Paz were among the first regional leaders to welcome the result.

The election unfolded against a backdrop of surging violent crime and chronic institutional instability—Peru has cycled through eight presidents since 2016. Fujimori campaigned on a hardline security platform, invoking her father’s legacy of crushing Maoist insurgents and taming hyperinflation. Analysts in Lima note that her narrow mandate and a fragmented bicameral congress, in which no party holds a majority, will require sustained coalition-building to govern. The outgoing interim president, José María Balcázar, will hand over power on 28 July. The electoral process was not without administrative friction: the ONPE’s secretary general resigned on 26 June, alleging manipulation of his computer equipment, though the electoral body maintained that the count was conducted in accordance with the law. The JNE’s proclamation on 3 July is the next formal step, with credentials to be delivered on 15 July, while Sánchez’s legal challenges are expected to continue.