According to the Left, it is democracy if they win, but if a simple majority vote does not want them in power, then democracy is in danger. That mantra has permeated electoral processes in more than one country in the region, and now we see it again in Peru.

After nearly a month of vote counting for the presidential runoff, the National Jury of Elections has announced who will occupy the Government Palace for the next four years: center-rightist Keiko Fujimori will become the second female president in the country’s history.

Days before the declaration of Fujimori’s victory, leftist presidential candidate Roberto Sánchez alleged — without providing evidence — that “fraud was underway” regarding the overseas voting in the June 7 runoff election.

Sánchez’s claims sounded like the desperate cries of a drowning man. Although the margin between him and Fujimori is narrow, she opened up enough of a gap (a difference of less than 1%) to pull ahead. And what has the candidate decided? He has announced in advance that he will not recognize his rival as the country’s president.

The fact is that the runoff, unlike the first round, received the seal of approval from international observation missions, such as those from the Organization of American States and the European Union. Both noted that the electoral process proceeded normally.

The current elections in Peru sought to bring political stability to a country that has seen 10 presidents in the last 10 years. But what kind of stability can be offered by an opposition leader who refuses to concede in the face of the results?

There is no official date yet for the presidential inauguration ceremony, but it could take place in the first half of July.

One indicator of Fujimori’s future foreign policy approach will be whether she aligns with Washington in refusing to accept regional dictatorships. Will the invitation be extended to Venezuela’s “acting president” Delcy Rodríguez, or to a representative from Havana or Managua? We shall see.

In the meantime, Peru’s presidential elections have highlighted a couple of noteworthy developments.

First, the South American nation has returned to a bicameral Congress. This comes three decades after President Alberto Fujimori abolished the Senate in 1993 and established a unicameral Congress with 130 deputies. Following the recent elections, the legislature will consist of 60 senators and 130 deputies.

Second, according to a message sent to its allies by the Ibero-American Congress for Life and Family (CIVF), there is good news for Western values.

“Peru has been characterized by having the most pro-life legislature on practically the entire continent,” the organization emphasized. Some of its most prominent figures, such as congress members Milagros Aguayo and Alejandro Muñante, will now serve as senators of the Republic.

At the same time, the CIVF welcomed the renewal of the conservative bloc in the National Congress, noting that “the defense of life, family, and liberty is guaranteed — and likely to expand — ensuring it remains a continental example in this struggle for the soul of the Americas.”

Peru is now joining the region’s rightward shift. A similar trend was seen recently in Colombia with candidate Abelardo de la Espriella, and a similar outcome is expected in Brazil’s upcoming presidential elections. This advance is erasing the red associated with the corrupt and impoverishing “21st-century socialism” from the Latin American map.