Why Latin America Keeps Turning Right
The victories of Keiko Fujimori and Abelardo de la Espriella are the latest signs that Latin American voters increasingly prioritize security and stability over ideology.
Latin America’s political pendulum is swinging decisively to the right — and Peru and Colombia are the latest evidence. In Peru, Keiko Fujimori of Fuerza Popular secured a razor-thin victory in the June 7 presidential runoff. Two weeks later, in Colombia, conservative lawyer Abelardo de la Espriella narrowly won the June 21 second-round presidential election. While the margins were slim, the political significance of both victories was considerable.
In both countries, voters chose candidates who promised to confront rising insecurity, crime, and institutional weakness. For many voters, concerns about public safety outweighed longstanding reservations about the candidates themselves. Opposition to left-wing political projects reinforced that tendency, but security remained the dominant issue driving electoral behavior.
Keiko Fujimori’s Fourth Attempt
Fujimori’s victory is particularly noteworthy given her long and controversial political trajectory. The daughter of former President Alberto Fujimori, she has now competed in four presidential elections and has remained one of the most polarizing figures in Peruvian politics for nearly two decades.
I first encountered Fujimori as a rising political figure in 2006 while serving as an election observer with the Organization of American States (OAS). Just days before she won a seat in Congress, I attended one of her campaign rallies in Lima. Even then, it was clear she possessed the political instincts and organizational discipline that would keep her at the center of Peruvian politics for the next two decades.
She later founded Fuerza Popular in 2010, transforming it into one of Peru’s most influential political movements. Although she repeatedly fell short in her bids for the presidency, her party frequently dominated Congress and exerted enormous influence over the country’s political agenda.
Her career has also been shadowed by corruption allegations, including her implication in the region-wide Odebrecht scandal. While several investigations were ultimately dismissed or overturned by the courts, critics continue to view her as a symbol of Peru’s dysfunctional political establishment. Yet her victory suggests that many Peruvians were ultimately willing to look past those controversies in favor of a familiar figure whom they believe can restore order, confront insecurity, and prevent a further shift to the left.
Colombia’s Security Candidate
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If Fujimori’s victory reflects the resilience of an established political dynasty, Abelardo De la Espriella’s rise represents the emergence of an entirely new political force. A high-profile attorney known for representing politicians, business figures, former paramilitary members, and other controversial clients, he entered electoral politics for the first time in 2026.
Throughout his campaign, De la Espriella cultivated an image as a hardline law-and-order candidate, advocating aggressive measures against drug trafficking, organized crime, and armed groups. His open admiration for Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele and his calls for expanded military operations resonated with voters increasingly frustrated by deteriorating security conditions.
De la Espriella has openly aligned himself with U.S. President Donald Trump and advocates a foreign policy strongly oriented toward Washington. He has endorsed tougher policies toward Cuba and Venezuela, stronger counter-narcotics cooperation, and broader U.S.-Colombia security coordination. To supporters, these positions represent a necessary response to Colombia’s deteriorating security environment. To critics, they raise concerns about democratic norms, human rights, and the concentration of executive power.
Security Over Ideology
Despite their very different backgrounds, Fujimori and De la Espriella benefited from a similar political dynamic: widespread voter frustration with insecurity, institutional weakness, and economic uncertainty. In both countries, many voters were willing to overlook longstanding reservations about the candidates themselves in favor of leaders they believed could prevent a return of left-wing political projects and restore a sense of order.
Across much of the hemisphere, voters appear increasingly drawn to candidates who offer credible responses to rising crime and insecurity — issues that consistently rank among the top concerns of Latin American electorates. The victories in Peru and Colombia mean that right-wing or center-right candidates have now won 12 of the last 15 presidential elections in Latin America, underscoring the breadth of the region’s conservative shift.
The victories in Peru and Colombia present an opportunity not only for both countries but also for the broader region and the United States, provided Washington follows through with meaningful security cooperation, investment, and economic engagement. Yet there are also reasons for caution. The campaigns exposed deep social and political divisions, and the narrow margins of victory underscore the extent of polarization in both societies.
Moreover, the incoming administrations will inherit daunting challenges. Persistent insecurity, fiscal constraints, institutional weaknesses, and public expectations for rapid results will make effective governance difficult. Winning an election is one thing but governing a divided nation is another.
The United States has openly welcomed these outcomes, but it should avoid the temptation to celebrate them triumphantly. Rather than gloating, Washington would be better served by working with the new governments to consolidate democratic gains, strengthen institutions, and address the concerns of the nearly half of each electorate that passionately supported the losing candidate. The long-term success of these administrations — and the stability of their democracies — will depend not only on satisfying their supporters but also on earning the trust of those who opposed them.
Can the Right Deliver?
More than simply marking the success of two candidates, the victories of Fujimori and De la Espriella reflect a growing demand across Latin America for governments capable of restoring security, strengthening institutions, and delivering tangible results.
Whether these new administrations can meet those expectations remains uncertain. They will inherit deeply polarized societies, strained public finances, and complex security challenges that cannot be solved through campaign promises alone.
If Peru and Colombia are any indication, the region’s political center of gravity will continue moving rightward for the foreseeable future. Yet the durability of that shift will depend less on ideology than on performance. Ultimately, the question is not whether voters want a different course, but whether this new generation of conservative leaders can govern effectively enough to justify the trust placed in them.
