Lima: Keiko Fujimori, the conservative candidate and daughter of Peru's former president, has been declared the winner of the Peruvian presidential election. Peru's electoral commission officially announced the results on Friday, July 3, revealing Fujimori's narrow win after weeks of public protests, fraud allegations, and intense scrutiny over contested ballots.
According to Thai News Agency, Fujimori garnered 50.135 percent of the votes in the runoff election held on June 7. She narrowly surpassed her opponent, Roberto S¡nchez, a left-wing member of the House of Representatives, who received 49.865 percent. The margin of victory was approximately 50,000 votes out of a total of 18 million voters, underscoring the tight competition.
This victory marks a significant turnaround for Fujimori, who previously faced a narrow defeat in the 2021 election to former President Pedro Castillo. Castillo was later impeached and imprisoned following his attempt to dissolve parliament in 2022. Roberto S¡nchez, seen as a political successor to Castillo, has stated he would not acknowledge Fujimori's government, citing unsubstantiated claims of election fraud made by Fujimori.
Fujimori's success is attributed to her strong support base in the capital and its surrounding areas, along with substantial backing from overseas voters, which played a crucial role in her electoral triumph.