MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Orsi praises Fujimori's 'exemplary perseverance' in a cross-ideological call

“Congratulations on two things: first on the win, and on your perseverance, which is exemplary,” Orsi said, referring to Fujimori's path to power on her fourth attempt after three lost runoffs

Uruguay's left-wing President Yamandú Orsi congratulated Peru's right-wing president-elect, Keiko Fujimori, by phone on her runoff victory, in a contact that bridged the ideological divide in a region where most governments have shifted to the right. The conversation, released by the Office of Peru's President-Elect, came amid the government transition in the Andean country, with the handover set for July 28.

“Congratulations on two things: first on the win, and on your perseverance, which is exemplary,” Orsi said, referring to Fujimori's path to the presidency on her fourth attempt after three lost runoffs. The Uruguayan leader offered support to the incoming administration and highlighted opportunities for cooperation between the two countries, with a mention of Peru's farm sector: “Your agricultural production is enviable. Fortunately, we have a lot of trade,” he said.

Fujimori thanked him for the message and expressed her intention to strengthen bilateral ties. “It will be a great pleasure for me to keep strengthening the relations of friendship and commercial exchange between Uruguay and Peru,” replied the president-elect, the Fuerza Popular leader, who won by a narrow margin over left-wing Roberto Sánchez.

The gesture stands out for the political contrast between the two leaders. Orsi, of the Frente Amplio, is one of the few left-wing presidents left in South America, alongside Brazil's Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and Colombia's Gustavo Petro —whose term ends on August 7— in a region where recent right-wing victories in Peru, Colombia, Argentina, Ecuador, Chile and Paraguay have reshaped the political map. Uruguay has maintained a tradition of continuity in its foreign policy beyond shifts in ideological sign, with smooth ties to governments of different stripes.

The call comes at a time of low domestic approval for Orsi. According to the pollster Factum, a June survey put his government's approval at 24%, its lowest level since he took office in March 2025, with a decline that reached even Frente Amplio voters; the deterioration was mainly linked to a controversy over the purchase of an official vehicle. Fujimori, for her part, faces the challenge of governing a highly fragmented country, where security and the economy rank among the main concerns.