PERU · POLITICS
Key Facts
- The country Peru, a US free-trade partner and major copper exporter, is led by conservative President Keiko Fujimori, in office since July 2026.
- What happened A survey published on Wednesday 14 October puts the Fujimori approval rating at 28.3%, down from 42.8% a month earlier.
- Disapproval Disapproval rose to 53.6% from 40.3%, while 18.1% of Peruvians gave no opinion.
- US operations 50.3% oppose joint US military operations on Peruvian soil against organised crime, and 28.1% support them.
- Top worries Corruption, named by 58.8%, and crime and drug trafficking, named by 42.2%, are the problems Peruvians cite most.
- The survey AtlasIntel polled 2,024 adults online from 2 to 7 October, with a margin of error of plus or minus 2 points.
- Power Index Peru ranks 5th of 14 in The Rio Times Latin America Power Index, with 54.7 points (October 2026 edition).
Approval of Peru’s President Keiko Fujimori fell to 28.3% in a survey published on Wednesday 14 October, down from 42.8% a month earlier. The survey by pollster AtlasIntel, which tracks the Fujimori approval rating monthly, also found half of Peruvians oppose joint military operations with the US.
That matters in Washington, whose military commander for South and Central America was in Peru on Wednesday to widen cooperation against gangs and illegal mining. Peru’s new ambassador to the US said in an interview reported the same day that rejecting such cooperation would be “suicidal”.
A Sharp Fall in One Month
Disapproval of the way Fujimori runs the government rose to 53.6%, up from 40.3% in August, according to the full AtlasIntel report. Another 18.1% said they did not know, up slightly from 16.9%.
Asked to rate the government as a whole, 50.2% called it bad or very bad and 30.6% called it fair. Only 19.1% rated it excellent or good.
Fujimori, the daughter of former president Alberto Fujimori, won a runoff in June on her fourth bid for the presidency. The candidate of the conservative Fuerza Popular (Popular Force) party took office in July, so the series on her presidency starts in August.
La República, a Lima daily, reported the 14.5-point drop in the Fujimori approval rating on Wednesday afternoon. AtlasIntel runs the monthly survey with Bloomberg in seven countries, from Mexico to Argentina.
Half of Peruvians Oppose Joint US Operations
AtlasIntel asked how far people agree that the United States should carry out joint military operations on Peruvian soil to fight organised crime. In total, 29.8% strongly disagreed and 20.5% disagreed, so 50.3% are against.
On the other side, 15.1% strongly agreed and 13.0% agreed, a combined 28.1%. Another 13.7% were neutral and 8.1% did not know.
Half of respondents, 50.0%, said US security policies limit Peru’s freedom to make its own decisions on organised crime. Only 21.4% said those policies strengthen that freedom.
Asked what a bigger US presence would most likely bring, 29.1% chose a lasting loss of sovereignty. Almost as many, 27.5%, expected the effective break-up of the main cartels and criminal gangs.
Corruption, Crime and a Gloomy Economy
Corruption is the problem Peruvians mention most, named by 58.8% of respondents, who could pick up to three issues. Insecurity, crime and drug trafficking follow at 42.2%, ahead of education at 26.1%.
Some 21.1% named the weakening of democracy, and 15.9% named high prices and inflation. Only 9.3% listed the economy itself among the main problems.
The mood on the economy is gloomy too, with 62% calling Peru’s economic situation bad and 22% calling it good. Some 64% gave the job market a negative rating, and only 15% a positive one.
Washington’s Security Push Meets Doubts
On Wednesday, Defence Minister Rafael Belaúnde met US Ambassador Bernie Navarro and General Francis Donovan, head of US Southern Command, in Iquitos. The Peruvian broadcaster Exitosa reported the talks in the Amazon city, citing the Defence Ministry.
They discussed transnational organised crime, illegal mining and Peru’s recent move to join the Shield of the Americas, a US-led security coalition against drug cartels. Belaúnde said the alliance would give Peru intelligence to fight organised crime.
Álvaro Vargas Llosa, the writer who is Peru’s new ambassador in Washington, told the TV channel Latina that rejecting that opportunity would be “absolutely suicidal”. He added that “nobody here is going to endanger Peru’s sovereignty”, the news site Infobae reported.
Beyond the Fujimori approval slump, the survey suggests Washington still has to win over much of the Peruvian public. About as many Peruvians fear a lasting loss of sovereignty from a bigger US presence as expect it to dismantle the gangs.
What It Means for You
For investors, a falling Fujimori approval rating in her first months may make it harder to steer laws through Congress. Peru is a major copper and gold exporter, so political turbulence there matters to mining companies and bondholders.
For US policy, the numbers show the limits of public support for American military action in Peru. Any plan for joint operations there would face a sceptical public, with opponents outnumbering supporters almost two to one.
For visitors, the survey changes nothing on the ground, but it shows what Peruvians themselves worry about. Crime and drug trafficking rank second among their concerns, behind only corruption.
What Is Not Known
The survey does not say what drove the 14.5-point fall in the Fujimori approval rating. It also cannot show yet whether the drop is a one-month dip or the start of a longer slide.
AtlasIntel publishes its Latam Pulse every month, so the next Peru edition will show whether the trend holds. It is also not known whether Lima and Washington plan any joint military operation on Peruvian soil.
More: Peru news in English, every day from The Rio Times.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Keiko Fujimori?
Keiko Fujimori is Peru’s president, elected in a June runoff as the candidate of the conservative Fuerza Popular (Popular Force) party. She is the daughter of Alberto Fujimori, who governed Peru in the 1990s.
How was the AtlasIntel poll carried out?
AtlasIntel surveyed 2,024 Peruvian adults through random online recruitment from 2 to 7 October 2026. It reports a margin of error of plus or minus 2 percentage points at 95% confidence.
Do Peruvians want US troops to fight crime in Peru?
Most do not: 50.3% oppose joint US military operations against organised crime on Peruvian soil. Some 28.1% support them, and the rest are neutral or undecided.
Why is the poll called September if it ran in October?
AtlasIntel labels it its September 2026 edition, although the fieldwork ran from 2 to 7 October. The previous edition, labelled August, put the Fujimori approval rating at 42.8%.
Sources: AtlasIntel, Latam Pulse: Peru, September 2026, 14 October 2026; AtlasIntel, Latam Pulse Peru full report (PDF), 14 October 2026; La República, only 28.3% approve of Keiko Fujimori’s government, 14 October 2026; Exitosa, Belaúnde meets Bernie Navarro on organised crime and illegal mining, 14 October 2026; Infobae, US Southern Command chief arrives in Peru to strengthen military cooperation, 14 October 2026; Infobae, Álvaro Vargas Llosa defends security cooperation with the US, 14 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