Just two days away from receiving her credentials from the National Jury of Elections (JNE) as president of the Republic, Keiko Fujimori continues with a series of meetings at the Fuerza Popular headquarters in San Isidro. This Monday she met with journalist and lawyer Carlos Espá (Sí Creo) and former regional governor of La Libertad César Acuña (APP). Both were opponents of the former first lady in the last presidential elections.
Espá, in recent days, has been mentioned as a potential head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs at the start of the Fujimorist government.
In fact, in the incoming management transfer team (ETTE), accredited by Fuerza Popular at the foreign ministry, is Carla Mares Ruiz, former Senate candidate for Sí Creo and dean of the Faculty of Law at the University of the Pacific between 2023 and 2025. She obtained 47,491 preferential votes in the congressional election but did not secure a seat because her party did not pass the 5% threshold.
Also read: 2026 Elections: the presidential candidates who did not make it and those who never took off, the reasons for their failure
In the ETTE at Torre Tagle is also Giacomo Sanguinetti Ravettino, who was president of the Student Center at the University of the Pacific when Mares was dean.
At the meeting between Fujimori Higuchi and Espá, Luis Galarreta, first vice president of the Republic-elect and secretary general of Fuerza Popular, also participated.
According to sources from El Comercio, the former head of Congress is one of the main candidates considered by the president-elect for chief of the Ministerial Cabinet.
Upon leaving, the former presidential candidate of Sí Creo said that all Peruvians “must be willing to contribute their grain of sand” wherever “it corresponds to us,” when asked if Fujimorism had offered him to be the next Minister of Foreign Affairs. He added that in Peru there is freedom of opinion, information, and speculation.
“I am not going to make a statement or opinion about speculations […] We must be patient,” he said.
In statements to the press, Espá supported the first announcements made by Fujimori Higuchi, indicating that she will promote the construction of mega maximum-security prisons.
“I agree with the announcements made by the president-elect, especially regarding maximum-security prisons. The leaders of criminal organizations must feel the weight of the law, and they are not feeling it,” he expressed.
The journalist and lawyer indicated that 80% of the prison population “suffers” extortion from the leaders of criminal organizations. “Extortion starts in prisons and then spreads to the rest of the population. I think these announcements made by the president-elect are good, in the sense that the full weight of the law should be applied,” he added.
Espá also emphasized that he finds it “very positive” that Fujimori Higuchi announced her intention to include Peru in the “Shield of the Americas,” a policy proposed by U.S. President Donald Trump to combat transnational organized crime, especially drug cartels.
“It is very important that countries realize they cannot fight or combat transnational criminal organizations individually. In the face of the threat posed by drug trafficking and money laundering, there must be a coordinated response from Latin America and the United States,” he added.
Also read: At least 17 officials from the governments of Boluarte, Jerí, and Balcázar are part of Fuerza Popular’s transfer team
In an interview with the Colombian magazine “Semana,” Fujimori Higuchi said that in her government plan, she has proposed the construction of at least four large prisons “and one for the most experienced and dangerous criminals.” “We will call for international tenders, and the important thing here is to do it quickly. We know that in El Salvador, President Bukele built these prisons in eight months; here we have to do it a little faster,” she mentioned.
She also stated that “support from the U.S. government in the fight against drug trafficking and organized crime will be allowed as far as the Constitution and the laws of our country permit.”
“But I do want to point out that, for example, Peru is currently part of NATO as an observer nation, and this is thanks to an initiative by President Trump. Likewise, we are interested in being part of the Shield of the Americas. We believe there are many opportunities there to restore peace and fight organized crime,” she emphasized.
Also read: Keiko Fujimori’s day: What did she talk about with Milei? And what are the options she is considering for the MEF?
A turning point
Earlier, president-elect Fujimori met with Acuña and Luis Valdez, secretary general of APP. The former presidential candidate of Alianza para el Progreso said he went to congratulate Fujimori on her victory in the runoff.
“I came to greet her, it’s the democratic thing to do, the electoral competition is over, I came to wish her the best […] We talked, and in my experience, she should be as close as possible to mayors and regional governors, they know the reality of the population,” he said.
In statements to the press, Acuña Peralta said he hopes Fujimori’s election as head of state will be “a turning point,” so that the country “does not have many presidents in five years.”
“That is why I call on all political forces that will be [in the new] Congress to dialogue and to think about the country and not personal interests. We have lost 10 years, and since 2016 we have had many presidents,” he added.
The leader of Alianza para el Progreso stated that Peru needs five years of “governability and stability.”
Acuña also indicated that the priority for the north of the country is citizen security and prevention actions in view of the El Niño phenomenon.
When asked if APP would join the Ministerial Cabinet, he replied no.
“I think it is time for the government to put the best people in place, who help govern; the management of a government depends on the ministers,” he concluded.
Alianza para el Progreso did not pass the electoral threshold and will not have representation in the new Congress, a situation that had not occurred since the 2006 elections. This despite the party investing at least S/10 million in propaganda. Acuña has been questioned for his closeness to former president Dina Boluarte.
Also read: César, what remains of APP, a chronicle by Fernando Vivas about Acuña’s defeat in the elections
In the afternoon, Fujimori Higuchi received Manuel Merino de Lama, who was president of the Republic for five days in November 2020.
Upon leaving the Fuerza Popular headquarters, the Acción Popular member said they did not discuss the report from the United Nations Human Rights Council Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, which concluded that the detention of former president Pedro Castillo Terrones, following his announced coup d’état, was “arbitrary” and lacked legal basis.
“We cannot be dependent on international organizations,” he said in statements to the press.
Merino de Lama also stated that he does not believe the head of state, José María Balcázar, “being about to leave,” will decide to grant a pardon or presidential grace to Castillo.
Fujimori Higuchi also met with the provincial mayor of Tacna, Pascual Güisa Bravo, and with the national leaders of popular dining rooms.
More information
73% believe that the priority of the Fuerza Popular government should be to combat insecurity. This follows the surge in extortions and crimes against transporters, shopkeepers, and others in recent years.
According to the latest Datum survey for El Comercio, the other challenges for the new Executive are generating employment and reactivating the economy (26%), improving health services (24%), improving the quality of education (20%), reducing corruption in public institutions (17%), and decreasing poverty and inequalities (9%), among others.
