Peru's Fujimori marks 100 days amid security and El Niño plans

Peruvian President Keiko Fujimori marked her first 100 days in office on Thursday, November 5, 2026, after taking power on July 28. She delivered a national address detailing actions on citizen insecurity, the El Niño climate phenomenon, and stalled public works, acknowledging that problems remain.

On security, Fujimori reported dismantling 37 criminal organizations and 2,700 criminal gangs, along with the capture of 16,325 wanted individuals. She also announced continued measures to regain control of penitentiary facilities, where armed forces have been deployed to guard access to some of the country's most overcrowded prisons.

“If in one hundred days the problems accumulated over years are not solved, it is enough to demonstrate a way of governing, working, deciding, correcting, and facing up, evidencing management.”

The government plans to declare criminal bands as "hostile groups" so the armed forces can confront them without a state of exception. It also considers loosening rules on the use of force to make it easier for security forces to open fire against suspected criminals.

Regarding El Niño, Fujimori said 1.5 billion soles were invested in prevention over the last three months, double the amount executed throughout 2025. Dredging work covered 179 kilometers of coastal rivers, or 85 percent of the planned target, removing about 4.5 million cubic meters of material.

Additional emergency preparations included acquiring 77 Bailey bridges and having more than 2,000 machinery units available for regions. Ships, helicopters, planes, and 13,000 personnel were also deployed.

Despite these figures, official National Death Registry data show no sustained decline in homicides during her first 100 days. Private pollster Ipsos reported her approval dropped from 57 percent at the start of her term to 40 percent in October, while rejection rose from 25 percent to 49 percent over the same period.

Fujimori secured legislative powers for 120 days to issue rules on security and El Niño prevention, with support from opposition senators across different tendencies. This move left the opposition bloc divided and significantly weakened.