Peru Deputies Back 90-Day Decree Powers for Fujimori
PERU · POLITICS
Key Facts
- —The country Peru is a copper-rich Andean nation of about 35 million people, led since 28 July by President Keiko Fujimori.
- —The background In late August, her government asked Congress for powers to legislate by decree on 66 separate matters.
- —Why now Under Peru’s new two-chamber Congress, such a request passes the Chamber of Deputies first and the Senate second.
- —What happened On Tuesday, 6 October, deputies voted 66 to 34, with 24 abstentions, for 90 days of decree powers.
- —The scope The powers cover only citizen security and the El Niño weather pattern, two of the original 66 requests.
- —What it means for you Expect quick decrees on crime, prisons and migration, but not the tax and mining changes once sought.
- —Still open The Senate can still approve, modify or reject the text, and the timing of its vote is unclear.
Peru’s lower house gave President Keiko Fujimori a narrow mandate to fight crime and prepare for El Niño by decree.
Peru’s Chamber of Deputies voted late on Tuesday, 6 October, to let President Keiko Fujimori’s government legislate by decree for 90 days. The decree powers cover only citizen security and the El Niño weather pattern, El Comercio and Correo, two Lima dailies, reported.
For foreign investors and visitors, the vote shapes how Peru tackles extortion, organised crime and flood risks. It also shows that Fujimori, a conservative, does not control Congress on her own.
What the Deputies Approved
The final text passed with 66 votes in favour, 34 against and 24 abstentions, both newspapers reported. The Chamber of Deputies is the 130-seat lower house of Peru’s Congress, which returned to two chambers this year.
On security, the decree powers cover migration control, weapons oversight and the identification and blocking of illicit communications, Correo reported. They also cover prison reform and the fight against extortion, contract killings, organised crime and cybercrime.
On El Niño, the government may let the National Civil Defence Institute hand out humanitarian aid directly. It may also support farmers and simplify procedures for infrastructure, housing, water and sanitation.
El Niño is a periodic warming of the Pacific that can bring heavy rain and floods to Peru’s coast. The Health Ministry has been training schoolchildren to prepare for it, the state news agency Andina reported.
A 13-Hour Session and a Second Vote
The debate ran for about 13 hours, from 10 a.m. to late evening, El Comercio reported. Earlier that evening the same compromise text had failed, news site Infobae reported.
Deputies then approved a motion to reconsider by 75 votes to 33, with 16 abstentions, Correo reported. The text passed at the second attempt later that night, Lima time.
Prime Minister Luis Galarreta urged deputies to reconsider and asked allied blocs to fight for the request, El Comercio reported. After the failed vote, Chamber president Óscar Reto convened party spokespeople, Infobae reported.
From 66 Requests to Two
The government filed its request in late August, listing 66 matters, according to the state newspaper El Peruano. El Comercio reported that they ranged from criminal law and policing to labour, mining, farming, taxes, infrastructure and the environment.
On Thursday, 1 October, the Chamber’s Constitution Commission cut the request to two matters for 90 calendar days. It voted 13 to 5, with 2 abstentions, Congress’s press office said.
On Tuesday, a broader text from Fujimori’s party Fuerza Popular, covering about 50 matters, was rejected, El Comercio reported. A proposal from the left-wing Juntos por el Perú to shelve the request entirely also failed.
Who Voted How
According to El Comercio’s breakdown, most of Fuerza Popular voted in favour, joined by Renovación Popular. Renovación Popular is the conservative party of former Lima mayor Rafael López Aliaga.
Most deputies of Partido Cívico Obras also voted yes, while Juntos por el Perú voted almost entirely against. Most of the Buen Gobierno bloc, which had itself proposed limiting the powers to security and El Niño, abstained.
What It Means for You
For US investors in Peru-linked stocks such as Southern Copper, Buenaventura or Credicorp, the narrow scope matters. Changes to mining or tax rules will have to go through Congress in the normal way.
Southern Copper and Buenaventura both run mines in Peru, and Credicorp is a Lima-based banking group. All three trade in New York.
For travellers, the US State Department rates Peru at Level 2, exercise increased caution, citing crime, unrest, kidnapping and terrorism. That advisory was issued on Friday, 4 September.
Any crime decrees could change policing, prisons and migration checks within weeks of the law taking effect. US citizens living in Peru should watch for new identification and migration rules.
What Is Not Known
It is not known when the Senate will vote, or whether it will change the text. The final approved wording could not be found on Congress’s website on Wednesday morning.
Which decrees the government will issue first is also unclear. A full party-by-party roll call has not been published by Congress.
What Comes Next
Under Article 105 of the Constitution, the Senate can approve or modify the text before it goes to the president, Gestión reported. The 90 days would start only once the law takes effect.
On Wednesday, 7 October, the Senate votes on Fujimori’s planned trips to El Salvador and Spain, Congress’s press office said. That is separate from the decree powers.
The vote does not hand Fujimori open-ended power. Congress keeps its role, and the government must still win parliamentary votes on everything outside these two areas.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are delegated decree powers in Peru?
Peru’s Congress can authorise the executive to issue legislative decrees with the force of law on specific matters for a set time. The decrees must stay within the subjects and period Congress approves.
Who is Keiko Fujimori?
She is a conservative politician and the daughter of former president Alberto Fujimori. She took office as Peru’s president on 28 July 2026.
Did Congress approve everything the government asked for?
No. The government asked for powers on 66 matters, and the deputies approved only two: citizen security and El Niño.
Is the delegation final?
Not yet. The Senate must still approve or modify the text before the president can sign it into law.
Is Peru safe for US travellers?
The US State Department advises increased caution in Peru, its Level 2. It warns against travel to some border and remote areas, but not to Cusco or Machu Picchu.
Sources: Congress of Peru, press office; Congress of Peru, Senate agenda; US State Department, Peru travel advisory; El Comercio; Correo; Infobae; El Peruano; Gestión (all accessed 7 October 2026).
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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