Peru’s newly inaugurated conservative president, Keiko Fujimori, pledged on Tuesday to confront the rising crime wave engulfing the Andean country.
This marks her fourth presidential run; she secured victory in the June runoff by a margin of less than 50,000 votes.
In her address to Congress, she announced that the armed forces would be deployed to regions plagued by crime, drug trafficking, and illegal mining.
She stated, “During states of emergency, the armed forces will temporarily assume leadership of security operations” with the goal of “returning these territories to the citizens.”
A contingent of left‑wing legislators walked out in protest during her inauguration, underscoring that this is Peru’s ninth presidential change in ten years.
The ceremony was attended by regional leaders such as Argentina’s Javier Milei, Chile’s José Antonio Kast, Bolivia’s Rodrigo Paz, Ecuador’s Daniel Noboa, and Uruguay’s Yamandú Orsi.
The 51‑year‑old candidate campaigned under the long shadow of her father’s controversial 1990s presidency.
Alberto Fujimori was imprisoned for corruption and crimes against humanity, actions he framed as part of a counter‑terrorism campaign.
Her hard‑line rhetoric responds to Peru’s most severe security crisis in decades, driven by the expansion of domestic and foreign criminal networks responsible for contract killings and extortion.
Her crime‑fighting proposals include expelling undocumented migrants, establishing courts with anonymous judges, and requiring prisoners to labor for their meals.
“She will be a copy of her father,” warned 80‑year‑old retiree César Fuentes, expressing concern that a hard‑line crackdown could lead to abuses.
However, housewife Nelly Vega voiced optimism, saying Fujimori “will lead us toward something better.”
“We live in a country plagued by terror,” the 68‑year‑old remarked.
The president also pledged to address the El Niño phenomenon, which forecasters warn could become the most intense and destructive since 1998.
‘Fighting for justice’
Right‑wing parties in Peru’s Congress remain without the majority needed to advance the president’s agenda.
Nevertheless, her Fuerza Popular party, the largest bloc in the legislature, retains considerable influence.
“It is a party with deep popular roots that has maintained a dynamic presence in Peruvian politics, even during electoral losses, thanks to its continuous representation in Congress,” observed Jeffrey Radzinsky, director of the political consultancy GFP.
Fujimori is slated to remain in office until 2031, succeeding a decade of political turmoil that saw eight Peruvian leaders ousted or compelled to resign, often amid congressional pressure linked to her family’s influence.
“Expectations are high,” said independent worker Marci Ángeles, 31, speaking to AFP.
However, given her conduct as an opposition leader in recent years, Ángeles cautioned that the outlook remains bleak.
Fujimori has urged reconciliation among political factions, yet the appeal has resonated poorly with families of victims of state violence.
On Monday, more than a hundred individuals gathered in the capital for a vigil, pledging to oppose the incoming administration and demanding justice for abuses committed during the previous Fujimori government.
“We expect nothing positive from her,” said Marly Anzualdo, who continues to seek the remains of her disappeared brother, Kenneth.
“For years we have fought for justice to be served, and we understand how they operate,” she told AFP.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP)
