Keiko Fujimori Becomes Peru’s Ninth President in 10 Years

Far-right leader takes office with congressional backing after narrowly winning the runoff.

On Tuesday, Peru will undergo its ninth presidential transition in 10 years with the inauguration of President Keiko Fujimori, who will lead this South American country through 2031.

She reached the presidency after winning the presidential runoff by fewer than 50,000 votes over leftist candidate Roberto Sanchez.

Keiko, the daughter of dictator Alberto Fujimori (1990-2000), is the first woman elected president of Peru, a country that has been mired in successive presidential removals promoted by Congress, most of them backed by Fujimorismo lawmakers. Unlike her predecessors, however, Keiko is expected to have sufficient support in Congress to complete her full term.

Her inauguration marks the return of Fujimorismo to power nearly 26 years after her father resigned by fax from Japan following the exposure of a major corruption scandal that also involved his adviser, Vladimiro Montesinos.

PERU PASSES BILL LIMITING PROSECUTION OF CRIMES AGAINST HUMANITY

Peru’s Congress approved a bill barring prosecution of crimes against humanity committed before 2002.

This could benefit ex-president Alberto Fujimori and former soldiers accused of abuses.

The IACHR has… pic.twitter.com/uONJtXzqcn

— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) July 4, 2024

Over the past quarter-century, Keiko took control of the Fujimorismo movement with the goal of regaining power and vindicating her father, who was sentenced to 25 years in prison for crimes against humanity and other charges stemming from multiple corruption cases.

The far-right politician finally reached the presidency after losing three consecutive elections (2011, 2016 and 2021) and spending time in pretrial detention between 2018 and 2020 while under investigation for money laundering related to the illegal financing of her election campaigns.

Attending the presidential inauguration will be Spain’s King Felipe VI and Presidents Javier Milei (Argentina), Rodrigo Paz (Bolivia), Jose Antonio Kast (Chile), Daniel Noboa (Ecuador), Nasry Asfura (Honduras), Jose Raul Mulino (Panama), Santiago Peña (Paraguay), and Yamandu Orsi (Uruguay).

On Tuesday afternoon, Fujimori is expected to appoint her Cabinet, with Vice President Luis Galarreta serving as prime minister, economist Elmer Cuba heading the Economy Ministry, and journalist Carlos Espa serving as foreign minister.

teleSUR/ JF

Source: EFE

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