Keiko Fujimori inaugurated as Peru's first elected woman president; vows military-led crime crackdown

Keiko Fujimori was sworn in as Peru's president during a formal session of Congress in Lima on July 28, 2026 — Peru's Independence Day — taking the presidential sash for the 2026–2031 term. She becomes Peru's ninth president in a decade and the first woman elected by popular vote to lead the country in its 250 years of republican history. In her inaugural address, Fujimori vowed a military-led crackdown on crime, saying that 'during states of emergency, the armed forces will temporarily take the lead in security operations' in areas plagued by drug trafficking and illegal mining. A group of leftist lawmakers walked out of the ceremony in protest, and more than 100 demonstrators gathered outside Congress and in San Martín Square, some holding photos of the 50+ civilians killed during the 2022–2023 anti-Boluarte crackdown, chanting for accountability and saying they do not recognize her presidency.