LIMA, Peru — The Popular Force party, led by President-elect Keiko Fujimori, secured the Senate presidency on Sunday through a strategic alliance with another conservative faction, setting the stage for the incoming administration.
Miguel Torres was elected Senate president with 30 votes out of 60 senators. The coalition includes the right-wing Popular Renewal party, which saw its member, Alejandro Muñante, elected as first vice president.
With the bicameral system recently reinstated for the first time in over thirty years, Peru’s Congress is finalizing its leadership just two days prior to Fujimori’s July 28 inauguration for the 2026-2031 term.
The election for the leadership of the lower house, which consists of 130 deputies, is expected within the coming hours.
During his inauguration, Torres stated that the objective is to establish a “more prudent” state and restore public confidence in government institutions.
The newly reconstituted bicameral Congress faces the difficult task of addressing Peru’s ongoing governance crisis, which has seen eight different presidents serve over the last decade. Currently, no single political party holds a legislative majority.
Torres, a lawyer and politician who served in the legislature from 2016 to 2020, will lead the Senate for a one-year term. He also serves as Peru’s second vice president-elect, alongside Fujimori and first vice president Luis Galarreta.
Peru’s Congress is scheduled to officially begin its annual legislative session this Monday.
