Keiko Fujimori arrived in Peru's southern Puno region for the first time after government officials used misleading announcements to bypass planned local protests.
Trade union leaders and families of victims killed during 2023 anti-government demonstrations aborted a planned five-hour journey to reject her visit after authorities announced that only cabinet ministers would attend the highland event.
Fujimori arrived at approximately 10:00 a.m. at Inca Manco Cápac International Airport in Juliaca on the presidential aircraft. She immediately boarded a Peruvian Army helicopter, registered as EP-682, to travel directly to the remote agricultural gathering.
Deceptive schedule circumvents highland blockade
Her arrival was confirmed only as the helicopter prepared to land before a crowd assembled by Carabaya Mayor Edmundo Cáceres. The gathering marked the closing ceremony of the 2026 Alpaca and Llama Fair, known as Fecasam, held at the Julio Barreda Aragón fairgrounds in Macusani.
Organizers restricted the event to local alpaca herders and ronderos, or peasant patrollers, who had been told two government ministers were arriving rather than Fujimori. Throughout the ceremony, organizers repeatedly instructed attendees to maintain respect during her presence.
Fujimori entered the fairgrounds accompanied by Agriculture Minister Marco Vinelli Ruiz. During the ceremony, she delivered a tractor to local agricultural workers, repeating a public gesture frequently utilized by her father, former Peruvian President Alberto Fujimori.
Puno, a high-altitude agricultural department bordering Lake Titicaca in the southeastern Andes, has long stood as a center of political opposition to conservative Lima leaders. In the second round of Peru's previous presidential election, Fujimori received just 14 percent of the vote across the Puno region, while 82 percent voted against her candidate slate.
Victims families condemn provocative visit
Demonstrators and deudos, or bereaved relatives, had intended to travel to Macusani, located in Carabaya province more than 4,300 meters above sea level. Protesters sought to publicly demand accountability for family members killed in early 2023, but called off the trip after official broadcasts omitted Fujimori from the guest list.
Raúl Samillán, president of the Association of Victims of January 09, 2023, said Fujimori made the trip solely to provoke local communities. Samillán declared that citizens in Puno would prevent future visits, citing the political backing her congressional faction provided to President Dina Boluarte.
The January 2023 unrest in Puno erupted following the removal of former President Pedro Castillo, leading to violent clashes with security forces in Juliaca. Samillán condemned Mayor Cáceres for hosting Fujimori, noting that national police officers killed ronderos Salomón Valenzuela and Sonia Aguilar during protests against the Boluarte administration without any officers facing punishment to date.
Samillán said Fujimori viewed the visit as a success but remained fully aware of local hostility, which forced her to travel by military helicopter under false pretexts. He added that the mayor had previously aligned himself with the Boluarte government, making his cooperation with Fujimori entirely expected.
Policy promises and polling figures
Fujimori spoke for only five minutes after receiving the microphone at the fairgrounds. She announced plans to construct a camelid fiber processing plant in the region, while promising state support to establish the University of Carabaya and build the Macusani to Nuñoa dual carriageway in neighboring Melgar province.
Addressing reporters after her speech, Fujimori commented on a recent poll conducted by research firm CPI. The survey indicated a 51.9 percent approval rating for her in southern Peru, alongside a 52.6 percent national approval rating, 30 percent disapproval, and 17.4 percent offering no opinion.
Fujimori said her administration was just beginning its work and received the survey results with gratitude and humility. She added that tangible outcomes mattered more than statistical figures, emphasizing a commitment to remaining close to the population.
Rather than addressing demands for justice regarding the 19 people killed during the January 2023 protests in Juliaca, Fujimori attributed regional discontent to historical state neglect. She said her government recognized the hardship caused by prior administrations that ignored the southern highlands, promising frequent return trips to Puno to demonstrate concrete progress.
