LIMA, Peru — Peru’s Popular Force party, the political home of President-elect Keiko Fujimori, secured the Senate presidency on Sunday through a partnership with another conservative political group, setting the stage for the incoming administration.
Miguel Torres claimed the Senate’s top leadership post after receiving 30 votes out of the 60-member chamber. The victory came through an alliance with the right-wing Popular Renewal party, whose representative, Alejandro Muñante, was chosen as first vice president of the Senate.
The vote comes just two days before Fujimori’s scheduled July 28 inauguration, when she will begin her presidential term covering 2026 through 2031. Peru’s Congress is currently organizing its leadership structure after restoring a two-chamber legislative system — a setup the country had not used in more than three decades.
In the coming hours, the lower chamber — made up of 130 deputies — will also hold elections to determine its own leadership.
Speaking at his swearing-in, Torres expressed his intention to build a “more prudent” government and restore public confidence in the country’s institutions.
The newly reconstituted bicameral Congress faces a steep challenge in addressing the political instability that has long gripped Peru. Over the past ten years, the country has cycled through eight different presidents, and no single political party currently holds a majority in the legislature.
Torres, who has a background in law and served in the legislature from 2016 to 2020, will hold the Senate presidency for a one-year term. He also holds the position of Peru’s second vice president-elect, having been chosen alongside Fujimori and first vice president-elect Luis Galarreta during the recent national elections.
Peru’s Congress is set to formally open its annual legislative session on Monday.
