By Marco Aquino and Alexander Villegas
LIMA (Reuters) – Alberto Fujimori85, who ruled Peru with an iron fist for a decade and fled the country amid corruption scandals and human rights violations, is running for president amid uncertainty and divided politics.
His daughter Keiko, who ran unsuccessfully for president three times, announced the news on Sunday, drawing attention to the 85-year-old ex-president, who was released from prison in December after an appeals court reinstated his pardon.
However, legal experts and analysts doubt the feasibility of his candidacy in 2026 due to his previous convictions.
“A presidential pardon has freed him from prison, but his legal status is that of someone who has not yet served his sentence,” said Anibal Quiroga, a constitutional lawyer, who said Article 33 of the Peruvian Constitution strips the political rights of people who have been sentenced to prison following a criminal conviction.
Fujimori is owed $15 million in civil damages over three separate cases. Experts say his candidacy should be decided by the country’s electoral authority.
“Fujimori’s political ambitions, without assessing the consequences, could once again plunge the country into uncertainty,” Quiroga said.
At least 30 parties have registered for the 2026 elections and Gonzalo Banda, a Peruvian political analyst, says Fujimori is trying to re-establish his party as the country’s dominant right-wing party.
Keiko and Fujimori’s eponymous political movement distanced itself from the convicted ex-president in recent elections, projecting a more moderate image and apologizing for mistakes made during his presidency. But after losing several elections, Banda says there has been a “reversal” toward traditional far-right policies.
The elder Fujimori’s announcement signals to voters that his party is returning to its right-wing roots at a time when crime and violence are a major problem, Banda said, even if he does not make it to the second round of voting. A 50 percent majority is needed to win the election in the first round, otherwise the top two finishers go to a runoff.
“(Fujimori’s party) says you don’t have to look for a Bukele, the Peruvian Bukele has always existed and it is Mr. Fujimori,” Banda said, referring to Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele, known for a tough approach to crime that has been criticized by human rights groups.
(Reporting by Marco Aquino and Alexander Villegas; Editing by Alistair Bell)
