Peru’s Senate on Wednesday 11 November 2026 authorised President Keiko Fujimori to leave the country from 15 to 21 November. She will attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum, known as APEC, in Shenzhen, China, and then hold a summit in Tokyo.
The vote was 44 in favour, 1 against and 5 abstentions, the Senate’s press office said. Fujimori, Peru’s president since July, wants to present Peru as a supplier of critical minerals, a category of raw materials that governments treat as strategic.
Our Peru news coverage follows the trip, during which Peru plans to pitch US business groups and Asian partners. The presidential request lists talks with the U.S.-APEC Business Coalition, a US business group that works with the forum.
Key Facts
- What Peru’s Senate, the upper chamber of Congress, cleared Keiko Fujimori, president since July, to travel abroad.
- Vote 44 in favour, 1 against and 5 abstentions in the plenary session.
- When She may leave from 15 to 21 November 2026; APEC meets on 18 and 19 November.
- Where Shenzhen, China, for APEC, the Asia-Pacific trade forum, then Tokyo, Japan, on 20 November.
- Covers First Vice President Luis Galarreta runs the Office of the President meanwhile.
- Power Index: Peru ranks 5th of 14 in The Rio Times Latin America Power Index, with 53.9 points (November 2026 edition).
What the Senate Approved
The Senate approved legislative resolution No. 00022-2026-2031-S in a plenary session chaired by Senate president Miguel Ángel Torres Morales. It lets Fujimori leave Peru from 15 to 21 November 2026 for Shenzhen and Tokyo.
The Council of Ministers, Peru’s cabinet, approved the request on 6 November, and it was made public on 9 November. It rests on Article 102-A(7) of the Constitution and Law 28344, which governs the president’s exits from the country.
What Peru Wants in Shenzhen and Tokyo
In Shenzhen, Peru’s agenda covers trade, investment, connectivity and the digital economy. It also includes moving businesses into the formal sector and the internationalisation of micro, small and medium enterprises.
Fujimori also plans talks with the U.S.-APEC Business Coalition on Peru as a strategic supplier of critical minerals and resilient supply chains. The request puts her participation at 17 to 19 November, while the leaders’ meeting runs on 18 and 19 November.
In Tokyo, the summit with Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi marks the 10th anniversary of the Peru-Japan Strategic Partnership and reviews the Peru-Japan Roadmap 2024-2033. It also covers investment and cooperation on science, technology and risk management for the El Niño climate phenomenon, a periodic warming of Pacific waters that can bring heavy rain to Peru.
The Pope’s Visit and the Timing
Pope Leo XIV is visiting Peru from 11 to 16 November. His closing Mass is on Monday 16 November at Las Palmas Air Base in Lima, a military airfield, after Fujimori leaves on 15 November.
Senator Mirtha Vásquez of the Ahora Nación party called Fujimori’s APEC attendance strategic, to preserve autonomy, strengthen multilateralism and widen cooperation against El Niño threats. But she questioned the timing and asked for separate votes on the China and Japan permits and a one-day delay so the president could see the pope off, and the Senate rejected that motion.
Why It Matters for US Readers
Peru’s request lists talks with the U.S.-APEC Business Coalition on critical minerals and resilient supply chains. Those talks would take place at a forum that also includes China.
We found no trade or investment figure that bears directly on this agenda, so we put no number on the stakes. Our report on her first weeks in office gives the domestic background.
What to Watch Next
The first checkpoint is the APEC leaders’ meeting in Shenzhen on Wednesday 18 and Thursday 19 November. Peru’s talks with the U.S.-APEC Business Coalition are part of its agenda there.
The second is the Tokyo summit with Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi on Friday 20 November. Our earlier report covers Chile’s President José Antonio Kast and Fujimori ahead of APEC.
What Is Not Known
We could not confirm any bilateral meetings in China from an official source, and no date has been published for the talks with the coalition. Nor is it known what agreements, if any, will come out of the trip.
We could not find an official figure for the cost of the trip. The outcome will be clearer once the Tokyo summit ends on 20 November.
In Plain English
The Senate is the upper chamber of Peru’s Congress, and it must approve the president’s trips abroad. APEC is a forum of 21 Asia-Pacific economies, and a strategic partnership is a formal long-term pact between two governments.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did the Senate have to vote on the trip?
The request cited Article 102-A(7) of the Constitution and Law 28344, which governs the president’s exits from the country. The Senate approved it 44 to 1 with 5 abstentions.
Who runs Peru while Fujimori is abroad?
First Vice President Luis Galarreta is in charge of the Office of the President. This applies while Fujimori is abroad from 15 to 21 November.
What is APEC?
APEC is the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum, which has 21 economies. Its 33rd Economic Leaders’ Meeting is in Shenzhen on 18 and 19 November.
What will she do in Tokyo?
On Friday 20 November she is due to hold a summit with Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi. The meeting marks 10 years of the Peru-Japan Strategic Partnership.
Sources: Congress of Peru press office, 11 November 2026 (comunicaciones.congreso.gob.pe); Presidency request to the Senate as published 9 November 2026; Council of Ministers approval of 6 November 2026.
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