Former Peruvian President Alberto Fujimori Will Nominate Himself In The 2026 Presidential Election

Alberto Fujimori bersama harus Fujimori. (Twitter/@KeikoFujimori)

JAKARTA - Former president Alberto Fujimori (85) is rumored to be running for the upcoming 2026 Peru Presidential Election, according to his eldest daughter, totaling Sofia Fujimori Higuchi.

This announcement was made amid the condition of Peru which is experiencing political uncertainty and divisions. Fujimori himself ruled for a decade (1990-2000), before leaving the country amid a corruption scandal and human rights violations.

"My father and I have spoken and decided together, he will become a presidential candidate," kotweetfered on Twitter, quoted from Twitter July 16.

Fujimori was released from prison in December, after an appeals court granted his pardon. However, Fujimori's eldest daughter, herself, is known to have failed to run for president three times.

However, legal experts and analysts question the feasibility of his candidacy, because of the punishment he received earlier.

"The president's pardon has released him from prison, but his legal status is someone who has not completed his sentence," said Anibal Quiroga, a constitutional lawyer, who said Article 33 of Peru's constitution removed the political rights of people who were sentenced to prison after being convicted of a criminal act.

Mi padre y yo hemos conversado y decidido juntos que él será el candidato presidencial. pic.twitter.com/YXVj3FWCLM

— Keiko Fujimori (@KeikoFujimori) July 14, 2024

Mi padre y yo hemos conversado y decidido juntos que él ser EL candidato presidencial. pic.twitter.com/YXVj3FWCLM

Fujimori owes 15 million US dollars in civil compensation for three separate cases. Experts say his candidacy must be decided by state election authorities.

"The political ambition of Fujimori without measuring the consequences can put the country back in uncertainty," said Quiroga.

There are at least 30 parties registered for the 2026 election. Gonzalo Banda, a Peruvian political analyst, said Fujimori was trying to rebuild his party as the country's dominant far-right force.

The political movement of eponimists totaling and Fujimori distancing themselves from the convicted former president in recent elections, depicting a more moderate image and apologizing for mistakes made during his tenure.

However, after losing several elections, Banda said there had been a "turn" towards traditional far-right policies.

Announcement by the older Fujimori gave a signal to voters that his party returned to its right wing at a time of crime and violence became a major concern, Banda said, even if it did not reach the second round of voting.

It is known, a majority of 50 percent is needed to win elections in the first round, otherwise the top two winners will follow the second round.

"(The Fujimori Party) says you don't have to look for Bukele, Bukele Peru is always there and that is Mr. Fujimori," Banda said, referring to Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele, who is notorious for his crackdown on crimes criticized by human rights groups.