The Rightward Shift in Latin America Reaches Peru: The Return of Fujimorism

With Keiko Fujimori’s victory in Peru’s presidential election, Fujimorism—the authoritarian political movement of former President Alberto Fujimori—is returning to power. The Society for Threatened Peoples (STP) warns of the consequences for Peru’s Indigenous Peoples. These communities were already among those most severely affected by state violence during the internal armed conflict under the rule of her father, Alberto Fujimori. At the same time, Peru is already weakening the legal accountability for these crimes.

“Fujimori’s election is far more than a change in government. It marks the return of a political agenda whose legacy has yet to be fully addressed. Indigenous communities were displaced by the Fujimori government, suffered massive violence, and lost fundamental rights. The fact that this very political movement is now back in power is an alarming sign,” explains Jan Königshausen, Advisor on Indigenous Peoples at the Society for Threatened Peoples.

According to estimates by the Peruvian Truth and Reconciliation Commission, the armed conflict between 1980 and 2000 claimed approximately 70,000 lives. The majority of the victims came from rural regions with predominantly indigenous populations. Both state security forces and the guerrilla organization Sendero Luminoso committed serious human rights violations during this period. To this day, many of these crimes have neither been fully investigated nor prosecuted.

The STP is concerned about current developments in Peru. Key progress made in the legal investigation of these crimes is increasingly being called into question. The amnesty law passed in 2025 for numerous members of the military and police as well as a recently enacted law expanding military jurisdiction promote impunity. Indigenous communities, which are still waiting for truth and justice, are particularly affected by this.

At the same time, Keiko Fujimori is pursuing an economic policy aimed at expanding the natural resources and energy sectors. Many of the regions earmarked for new natural resources and energy projects overlap with indigenous territories. Accelerating such projects therefore carries a significant risk of conflict.

This press release was translated from German to English using AI. If you come across errors or ambiguities, please contact us at 65]G378o6DD6CA.