Conservative leader Keiko Fujimori was sworn in as Peru’s president on Tuesday after narrowly winning June’s election by fewer than 50,000 votes, becoming the country’s first female head of state.
The 51-year-old leader of the Popular Force party, whose father Alberto Fujimori ruled Peru from 1990 to 2000, takes office promising to restore political stability, tackle rising crime and revive economic growth after a decade of political turmoil.
Peru has had nine presidents in the past decade, with only three elected by popular vote. The others took office after their predecessors resigned or were removed by Congress, often amid corruption scandals.
Fujimori enters office with strong congressional backing. Her Popular Force party and its main ally, Popular Renovation, control half the seats in the newly installed Senate, making it more difficult for lawmakers to remove the president.
Security was at the centre of Fujimori’s campaign as Peru grapples with growing organised crime and extortion. She has pledged to govern with an “iron fist,” including plans to build a mega-prison modelled on El Salvador’s Cecot facility and allow judges to conceal their identities during criminal trials for security reasons.
She has also pledged to boost infrastructure investment by making it easier for government agencies to partner with private investors.
Opposition leaders have urged Fujimori’s incoming administration to repeal laws passed by the previous Congress that critics say have weakened efforts to combat organised crime.