The State Department congratulates Keiko Fujimori as the president-elect of Peru
NEWNow you can listen to Fox News articles!
The State Department on Tuesday congratulated candidate Keiko Fujimori after she was declared the winner of Peru's presidential election with little explanation.
The statement marked a milestone in Latin American relations, with Washington indicating it expects to work with the Fujimori administration on shared priorities.
“The United States congratulates President-Elect Keiko Fujimori of Peru on his victory in an important election,” the department said.
“The Trump Administration looks forward to deepening cooperation with the Fujimori Administration to enhance security cooperation and strengthen bilateral cooperation in investment and trade in our region.”
TRUMP ADMIN WARNS PERU COULD LOSE SOVEREIGNTY AS CHINA TENDS TO HOLD COUNTRY
Peru's presidential candidate for the popular Fuerza party, Keiko Fujimori, waves to supporters during a closing campaign rally in Lima on June 4, 2026. (Anthony Nino de Guzman/AFP)
His victory comes as Washington seeks to strengthen ties with market allies in Latin America amid China's growing economic influence in the region.
Beijing recently completed the Chancay deepwater port in Peru – a massive $1.3 billion project that serves as China's key transit hub on the Pacific coast.
Fujimori's tough stance on organized crime also coincides with US efforts to increase regional security and anti-trafficking cooperation.
BIDEN, XI WILL MEET SATURDAY IN PERU, US OFFICIALS SAID
Secretary of State Marco Rubio looks on during a ceremony at the U.S. embassy in New Delhi on May 23, 2026. (Julia Demaree Nikhinson/AFP)
Fujimori was declared the winner on Monday by Peru's National Office of Electoral Procedures (ONPE), the electoral authority responsible for reporting the results of the vote count. The last official of the country in matters of elections, the National Jury of Elections (JNE), has not released its official announcement, according to Reuters.
According to ONPE, Fujimori received 50.1% of the vote, winning by less than 50,000 votes out of nearly 18 million votes cast.
Her victory over leftist challenger Roberto Sánchez marks her fourth presidential bid and makes her Peru's first elected female president.
The result closes an election cycle that has created deep divisions in the country that have gone through nine presidents in the past decade.
Fujimori is also the daughter of former Peruvian President Alberto Fujimori, who ruled the country in the 1990s.
TRUMP'S VICTORY BOOSTS CONSERVATIVES IN LATIN AMERICA, REVIVAL IS CALLED FOR: 'THERE WILL BE RESULTS'
Former Peruvian President Alberto Fujimori raises his hand outside his home in Santiago, Chile, May 18, 2006. (Claudio Santana/AP Photo)
Fujimori's presidency marks the return of his family's political brand to Peru's highest office – an organization that has long had strained relations with the United States.
While Washington once supported his father in his fight against communist rebels and economic reforms in the 1990s, the US later criticized his government for the dismantling of democratic institutions and alleged human rights abuses.
Keiko Fujimori has spent more than two decades trying to remake “Fujimorismo” into a modern, conservative, law-and-order political movement.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS PROGRAM
Peruvians voted for Fujimori amid an increase in violent crime, corruption and years of political instability.
Fujimori campaigned on an “iron fist” approach to security and a promise to protect Peru's free market economy, while his opponent focused on rural economic grievances.
Reuters contributed to this report.
