Peru's conservative president-elect Keiko Fujimori has vowed to restore "order and hope" after narrowly defeating left-wing candidate Roberto Sánchez in a closely contested presidential runoff, in what analysts are describing as the latest victory for a resurgent Latin American right. With 100 percent of ballots counted, Fujimori secured 50.13 percent of the vote — roughly 9.22 million votes — against Sánchez's 49.86 percent, a margin of fewer than 50,000 votes out of more than 18 million cast. Peru's National Electoral Jury (JNE) is expected to formally proclaim the winner around 3 July, after final hearings on appeals submitted by both parties, with the winning ticket set to receive its official credentials on 15 July.

The 51-year-old daughter of late authoritarian president Alberto Fujimori will take office on 28 July for a five-year term — her fourth attempt at the presidency. The election was dominated by two pressing issues: rising organised crime, with extortion gangs and contract killings on the increase across the Andean country, and chronic political instability that has seen Peru cycle through eight presidents in roughly a decade. Fujimori campaigned on a promise of a firm hand against crime and a defence of her father's economic legacy, which includes central bank independence and tight fiscal discipline. She has pledged to reduce Peru's fiscal deficit to 1 percent of GDP by 2031. She also adopted a strong anti-immigration stance during the campaign, pledging to expel undocumented migrants — a message directed in part at Peru's Venezuelan community of 1.6 million, around 14 percent of whom lack authorised residency.

Alberto Fujimori, who ruled from 1990 to 2000, is a deeply polarising figure: he won credit for crushing Maoist Shining Path rebels and ending hyperinflation, but was later jailed for corruption and crimes against humanity committed in the name of fighting terrorism, including involvement in at least two civilian massacres. Keiko Fujimori became first lady at the age of 19 after her mother publicly broke with her father, and later trained as a business administrator in the United States. Millions of Peruvians carry painful memories of her father's rule and have consistently refused to vote for anyone bearing the Fujimori name — a factor that blocked her path to the presidency three times before. Her own party, Fuerza Popular, has also drawn criticism for contributing to congressional gridlock and political instability.

Sánchez has so far not publicly accepted the result. He had previously warned he would refuse to recognise a Fujimori government, alleging irregularities in the handling of overseas votes — claims that have not been substantiated. He also sought the annulment of thousands of foreign-cast ballots that favoured Fujimori, a request the electoral jury rejected. The drawn-out count, delayed by the review of contested ballots and the late arrival of votes from abroad, raised the prospect of a prolonged political crisis. Fujimori, for her part, acknowledged on Monday that Peru remains deeply divided, saying: "We have the responsibility of listening to both sides. The doors for dialogue are open."

Her victory adds Peru to a broader regional trend. She joins a string of right-leaning leaders who have come to power across Latin America in recent years on platforms centred on security and economic stability. She inherits a country marked by stark inequalities between the capital Lima and rural regions, and deep disillusionment with political institutions — challenges that will define her administration from day one.