Peru's Bicameral Congress Convenes Ahead of Fujimori's Inauguration

Peru's bicameral Congress, comprising the Senate and the Chamber of Deputies, has convened its first annual session, one day prior to the inauguration of President-elect Keiko Fujimori. This marks the return of a two-chamber parliament in Peru after more than 34 years.

The annual session will run from July 27, 2026, to July 26, 2027, and will be divided into two legislative periods. The first period concludes on December 15, 2026, with the second commencing on March 1, 2027, and ending on June 15, 2027.

Leadership of the new Congress has been divided. Miguel Torres, a member of Fujimori's Fuerza Popular party, has been sworn in as the new president of the Senate and, by regulation, will also serve as the president of Congress for the 2026-2027 term. The Senate's governing board includes Alejandro Muñante and Edgar Mancha Pineda from the far-right Renovación Popular party, and Nilza Chacón from Fuerza Popular.

Conversely, a coalition of center and left-wing parties will lead the Chamber of Deputies for the 2026-2027 period. This coalition, named 'Consenso por la democracia,' secured victory over the list presented by Fuerza Popular and Renovación Popular. Jesús Reto, from the center-right Partido del Buen Gobierno, heads this governing board, which also includes Analí Márquez and Harvey Colchado from left-wing parties, and José Ricardo Yataco from a centrist party. The members of both chambers took their oaths last Friday.