Peru: Keiko Fujimori's Stability-Focused Campaign Gains Traction

Keiko Fujimori, a prominent figure in Peruvian politics and daughter of former president Alberto Fujimori, is mounting a determined campaign for the 2026 presidential election. After four previous attempts, she appears closer than ever to securing the presidency, facing a tight race against leftist candidate Roberto Sánchez.

This campaign's distinct approach centers on citizen security, support for the private sector, conservative values, and state modernization. These strategic shifts are informed by lessons from her past electoral defeats and over two decades of political activity, which began with her entry into Congress in 2005.

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She has known how to stay relevant and is a young woman, which allows her to remain active in Peruvian politics. Furthermore, she is very clear from an ideological point of view: she is a woman of the right, she defends traditional values, believes in the free market, in controlling spending and in prudent economic management with clear rules.

Political scientist Jesús Mazzei views Fujimori's previous losses not as failures but as crucial learning experiences that provided invaluable campaign knowledge and voter insight. He highlights her ability to remain politically relevant as a young woman, maintaining ideological clarity as a conservative advocating for free markets and prudent economic management.

Mazzei also points to Fujimori's adept navigation of her father's complex legacy. Rather than distancing herself entirely, she strategically leverages the positive aspects of Alberto Fujimori's first term, characterized by economic and political stability, while clearly stating her distinct political identity. She emphasizes that she is Keiko Fujimori, not her father, acknowledging the vastly different political and historical context of contemporary Peru compared to the 1990s.

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She has assumed that positive legacy, but has also emphasized: I am Keiko Fujimori, I am not Alberto Fujimori. That is to say, politically they are two different people in completely different historical and political contexts. Today's Peru is very different from the 90s.