LatinNews Daily - 07 July 2026

*Peru’s President-elect Keiko Fujimori (Fuerza Popular, FP) has announced that Julio Velarde will keep his position as head of the central bank (BCRP), a role he has held since 2006. Velarde’s long tenure at the BCRP is widely viewed as a key factor in Peru’s financial stability despite intense political churn that has seen the country cycle through 10 presidents during that timeframe. Fujimori wrote on social media that Velarde accepted her offer to remain for “a new five-year term” and said that “with this decision, Peru will strengthen an environment of confidence and stability to drive its development”. Fujimori’s left-wing rival in the 7 June presidential run-off, Roberto Sánchez (Juntos por el Perú, JPP), appeared to belatedly acknowledge defeat yesterday. In a joint statement, Sánchez, Alfonso López Chau, and Ricardo Belmont, the presidential candidates for the centre-left Ahora Nación (AN) and Partido Cívico Obras (PCO), respectively, announced the formation of an opposition coalition in congress. They said that “we recognise that the national electoral council has officially proclaimed the electoral results; however, this does not mean renouncing the right to highlight and denounce the irregularities which occurred during the electoral process”. Election observation missions did not find any sign of foul play in the election, which Fujimori won due to the overseas vote, while Sánchez led narrowly among voters living in Peru.

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