Peru's electoral authority has declared right-wing candidate Keiko Fujimori the winner of the country's presidential race, the body announced on Friday. The announcement comes weeks after the June 7 runoff election against leftist rival Roberto Sanchez.
Fujimori held a slight lead after the vote count ended earlier this week, with the official tally released on Friday showing a razor-thin victory. She secured 9,223,000 votes to Sanchez's 9,173,000.
"A new stage begins," Fujimori wrote on X (formerly Twitter) on Friday. "We assume it with responsibility, humility, and a deep sense of duty. Each day of this transition process is an opportunity to listen, engage in dialogue, and arrive prepared at the start of the new government."
Fujimori is the daughter of the late former President Alberto Fujimori, who was jailed for human rights abuses. She ran on a platform of cracking down on crime and has vowed to "unite the country," which has faced years of political turmoil and a stagnating economy.
Sanchez, who had strong support among rural and Indigenous voters, has alleged irregularities and fraud in the vote but has not provided any evidence. Election monitors have cautioned that no such proof has yet emerged.
Reporting from Lima, Al Jazeera's Mariana Sanchez said Sanchez may seek to rally support to have Fujimori swiftly impeached by the country's unicameral Congress. Such impeachments have been common in Peru, where the constitution permits broad grounds for removing a president when approved by two-thirds of the chamber.
Fujimori is set to become Peru's ninth president in 10 years when she takes office in late July. Her tough-on-crime message appeared to connect as Peru has faced a surge in organized crime in recent years, including extortion, kidnappings, and contract killings.
The administration of US President Donald Trump, which has supported several right-wing candidates across Latin America, backed Fujimori. She has also been embraced by other right-wing leaders in the region, including Argentina's Javier Milei.
Source: www.aljazeera.com