Mikaela Raiser is a law student at the Universidad de Lima, and a JURIST correspondent covering legal developments and social issues in Perú.
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ENGLISH
On July 3, Keiko Sofía Fujimori Higuchi was certified as the first elected female President of Perú by the National Electoral Jury (Jurado Nacional de Elecciones, JNE). She secured 50.135% of the vote with 9,223,396 ballots, while Roberto Helbert Sánchez Palomino received 9,173,755. Her Oath of Office is scheduled for July 28, on which date she will formally assume presidency.
These results reveal two major aspects: Fujimori’s victory after three unsuccessful presidential bids and Perú’s deep polarization. Although the country now has a president-elect, the runoff’s narrow margin exposes a fracture that will force her administration into a constant struggle for political survival—a contest between legality and legitimacy.
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Yet, the current presidential instability did not begin with this election. It began after the resignation of Pedro Pablo Kuczynski in 2018, after facing the imminent threat of removal from office. Congress relied on the constitutional figure of “permanent moral incapacity” (incapacidad moral permanente) as an expedited mechanism for removing the president.
Since then, the timeline of the political downfall (eight years, nine presidents) can be summarized as follows:
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- Pedro Pablo Kuczynski (2016-2018): Resigned amid corruption allegations and conflicts of interest.
- Martín Vizcarra (2018-2020): Assumed office as vice president. After dissolving Congress, he was later removed via “vacancia”—a constitutional mechanism based on permanent moral incapacity, which allows Congress to remove the president.
- Mercedes Aráoz (2019): Sworn in as interim president before the Congress was dissolved by Vizcarra; resigned the following day due to a lack of legality. Vizcarra continued in power after her resignation.
- Manuel Merino (November 2020): Following Vizcarra’s impeachment, assumed the presidency as President of Congress. Held office for 5 days, resigning after massive protests against him.
- Francisco Sagasti (2020-2021): Tasked with the transitional administration and calling for elections.
- Pedro Castillo (2021-2022): Won the elections perceived as a political outsider. His administration collapsed a failed attempted to dissolve Congress without meeting constitutional requirements.
- Dina Boluarte (2022-October 2025): Assumed office through constitutional succession as vice president. Her administration was marked by scandals and a lack of legitimacy, ending with her removal.
- José Jerí (October 2025-February 2026): Designated interim president by Congress. He remained in office for several months before Congress removed him through an expansive interpretation of the political control mechanism known as “censura.” The legal basis and the justification for his removal became subjects of controversy and debate.
- José María Balcázar Zelada (February 2026-Present): Chosen by Congress after Jerí’s removal.
This entire chain of instability finds its breaking point in the electoral shock of 2021: Castillo’s victory.
