Peru's controversial ex-president Fujimori wants to run again

"My father and I talked and decided together that he will be the presidential candidate," wrote Keiko Fujimori, who has already unsuccessfully run for the presidency of the South American country three times. The presidential election is scheduled for 2026.

Fujimori, who is of Japanese descent, ruled Peru with a firm hand for two terms from 1990 to 2000. He will be 86 years old in two weeks' time. He also made it public in May that he has tongue cancer.

Prison sentence served

Furthermore, legal proceedings against Fujimori could prevent him from running for office. In December, he was released early from prison, where he had been serving a sentence for crimes against humanity since 2009. The Constitutional Court had reactivated a pardon granted to Fujimori in 2007 by then Peruvian President Pablo Kucynski, which was revoked in 2018 following massive protests.

Fujimori had been convicted of massacres committed by death squads in the early 1990s in the fight against the guerrilla organization Shining Path, among other things. According to the verdict, he was to remain in prison for 25 years.

Daughter does not want to become vice president

Fujimori's daughter says she does not want to become vice president if her father is re-elected. "I believe that my role as leader of the party will help him to arm the teams," she said, referring to the election campaign.

Keiko Fujimori is currently facing a corruption trial. Last week, the public prosecutor's office demanded 30 years and ten months in prison for her. The accusations are connected to the widespread affair surrounding the Brazilian construction company Odebrecht. Fujimori, who has already spent a total of 16 months in custody, rejects the accusations. The trial against her and 45 co-defendants, which opened on July 1, is expected to last more than a year.