Keiko Fujimori declared winner of Peru presidential race

Conservative candidate Keiko Fujimori has officially won Peru's presidential election, the country's electoral office announced Friday, concluding weeks of protests and fraud accusations following a razor-thin race. Fujimori secured 50.135% of the vote in the June 7 runoff, edging out leftist congressman Roberto Sanchez by approximately 50,000 votes out of 18 million cast.

"Today marks the beginning of a new era for Peru, an era of responsibility, dialogue, and results to restore confidence in our institutions," Fujimori stated at her party headquarters. This victory comes after a narrow loss in 2021 to former President Pedro Castillo, who was later impeached and jailed. Sanchez, seen as Castillo's political heir, has claimed electoral fraud without providing evidence and has led protests challenging the vote.

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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.

Fujimori's win, bolstered by votes from the capital region and overseas ballots, highlights Peru's deep political polarization and instability, which has seen multiple presidents ousted in the last decade. She is set to become the 10th president since 2016 when she assumes office on July 28, succeeding interim President Jose Balcazar.

The election outcome reaffirms a rightward shift in Latin America, with conservative leaders like Argentina's Javier Milei and El Salvador's Nayib Bukele congratulating Fujimori. The U.S. State Department also expressed eagerness to deepen cooperation. Financial markets, which had been unsettled by the prospect of a Sanchez victory, welcomed Fujimori's win, with Moody's predicting policy continuity, bolstered investor confidence, and sustained economic growth, potentially unlocking delayed mining projects in the world's third-largest copper producer.

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I don’t think there is a big difference. Maybe the players will give their opinion about the camp, but as far as I’m concerned, I’ve matured and moved past that stage.