Keiko Fujimori Era in Peru: Combating El Niño and Economic Risks

In critical days marking the end of a political period and the beginning of a new one in Peru, Keiko Fujimori is expected to be announced as president and officially take office on 28 Temmuz. However, unlike the cold and grey weather typical of the country's winter season, Fujimori's new administration must confront a condition table dominated by heat and sun, yet meteorologically quite harsh. It is clearly evident that as the team preparing for the presidency defines its initial priorities, the main focus is on activating the state mechanism.

One of the most urgent and major threats facing the country is the El Niño event, which has already begun to show its effects. Official forecasts indicate that this climate event could reach moderate to severe levels in the coming months and persist until the summer of 2027. This situation has already deeply shaken the fishing sector; the first season of anchovy fishing has been suspended in the central-north region, and the second season is under significant risk. Not only the seafood sector but also the agricultural sector will suffer from this negative picture, with agricultural production, employment, exports, and food security seriously threatened.

Beyond the meteorological data, the silence of the incumbent government and the state's insensitivity to this process create an even more difficult landscape for the new administration. The Keiko Fujimori government must take rapid and decisive steps by mobilizing the existing state structure for prevention and preparedness efforts. For a newly starting administration, the task of intervening in such a comprehensive and crisis-ridden situation represents a major administrative burden and test.

In addition to managing the current emergency, the most important task to be done is to implement long-term measures that will reduce the negative impacts on productive activities and protect employment. There is an urgent need for a new monitoring and evaluation plan that adapts to environmental variables for the fishing sector; additionally, if conditions permit, the opening of temporary fishing areas should be supported. Furthermore, turning this challenging process into an opportunity to revitalize anchovy fishing in the south, which is the economic lifeline for the country's southern regions, is of strategic importance.

In this difficult process, the fact that Peru has a powerful scientific institution like IMARPE, with a 62-year distinguished history in maritime research and worldwide recognition, is a serious advantage. Given the high variability in Peru's seas, accurate and timely information flow is vital for decision-making processes and the revitalization of industrial fishing. The reality that this threat brought by the climate crisis is too urgent to wait for spring for a political birthday or new beginnings forms the basis of all these preparations.