Politics: Peru
Key Facts
—Who. Keiko Fujimori, Peru’s conservative president since 28 July 2026, and the Senate of Peru.
—What. The Senate authorised two foreign trips: an official visit to El Salvador and the 30th Ibero-American Summit in Madrid.
—Where. El Salvador, with the programme on 29 and 30 October, then Madrid for the summit on 4 and 5 November (authorised absences: 28–31 October and 2–6 November).
—When. The Senate voted on Wednesday 7 October 2026. The vote was 11 against and 1 abstention, with 37 or 38 in favour, depending on the outlet.
—US link. In El Salvador she plans to visit CECOT, the mega-prison where the United States sent deportees in 2025.
—As of. 7 October 2026, 23:44 GMT.
Peru’s Senate approved two foreign trips for President Keiko Fujimori on Wednesday 7 October 2026. She will visit El Salvador and President Nayib Bukele from 28 to 31 October, then attend the Ibero-American Summit in Madrid.
What We Know
The Senate approved the request of the executive, according to the official gazette El Peruano. The resolution lets Fujimori leave the country from 28 to 31 October for El Salvador and from 2 to 6 November for Spain.
El Peruano counts 38 votes in favour, 11 against and 1 abstention. Gestión, Infobae and Correo report 37 in favour, and the official count was not available to us.
In El Salvador she will meet Bukele privately and hold an expanded meeting with ministers, El Peruano reports. Her programme also includes visits to the Terrorism Confinement Center (CECOT), a flagship school and Rosales Hospital.
In Spain she will join the plenary sessions of the 30th Ibero-American Summit in Madrid on 4 and 5 November. The programme also lists bilateral meetings with other heads of state and business forums.
The summit brings together 22 Spanish- and Portuguese-speaking countries under the presidency of Spain’s King Felipe VI. A business forum organised by the Spanish employers’ confederation CEOE runs alongside it on 3 and 4 November.
Why the Prison Visit Matters
CECOT is the large prison that Bukele built to hold gang suspects. It opened in 2023 in Tecoluca, El Salvador, and the government says it can hold 40,000 inmates.
The United States flew 238 Venezuelan deportees to CECOT in March 2025. Rights groups have criticised the prison, and Bukele’s government defends it as a tool against gangs.
At a rally in Trujillo during the runoff campaign, Fujimori promised four large prisons and one mega-prison for the most dangerous inmates, modelled on CECOT. She said Bukele built his in eight months and that Peru could do the same, according to El Comercio.
In September, Prime Minister Luis Galarreta confirmed that the government had contacted El Salvador about the crime wave, Infobae reported. The visit therefore ties into her security plan, including the joint military and police command she announced on 7 October.
Who Runs Peru While She Is Away
Under Article 115 of the Constitution, the first vice president takes over the presidential duties during her absences. According to El Peruano, that is Luis Galarreta, who is also prime minister.
This is the second travel authorisation the Senate has given her. The first covered her trip to the United Nations General Assembly in New York from 21 to 25 September.
What Is Not Known
The reports we reviewed do not say whether Fujimori will sign any security agreement with Bukele. Nor is it known which Spanish officials she will meet in Madrid.
The official vote count differs between outlets by one vote. We will correct this article if the Senate publishes a different final tally.
What It Means for Travelers and US Readers
For US readers, the visit links Peru’s new security plan to a prison that has held deportees sent by the United States. Any prison policy that follows will matter to US officials who track organised crime in the Andes.
Travelers to Peru should not expect changes to entry rules from the trips. Check the US State Department’s advisory for Peru before travel, and expect the government to run on a vice president’s authority while Fujimori is abroad.
More: Peru news in English, every day from The Rio Times.
Frequently Asked Questions
Did Peru’s Senate approve Fujimori’s trips?
Yes. The Senate voted on 7 October 2026 to allow trips to El Salvador from 28 to 31 October and to Spain from 2 to 6 November.
What will Fujimori do in El Salvador?
She will meet President Nayib Bukele and ministers, and visit the CECOT prison, a flagship school and Rosales Hospital. These are the plans in the official programme reported by El Peruano.
What is the Ibero-American Summit?
It is a meeting of the heads of state and government of 22 Ibero-American countries. The 30th summit takes place in Madrid on 4 and 5 November 2026.
Why does this matter to US readers?
CECOT has held deportees sent by the United States, and Fujimori wants a similar prison in Peru. The visit shows how security policy links the Andes to Washington’s priorities.
Sources
El Peruano · RPP · Gestión · Infobae Perú · Panamericana
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This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error · Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief
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