1. Support for Sahara autonomy plan
2. Ending previous ambiguity
3. New alignment with Polisario
4. Morocco’s diplomatic push

Peru’s incoming president, Keiko Fujimori, has begun staking out clear positions on key foreign policy priorities following her closely contested election victory. One of the most significant involves the territorial integrity of Morocco, a matter thrust into the spotlight after a meeting between Fujimori and Morocco’s ambassador to Peru, Amine Chaoudri, who delivered a congratulatory letter from King Mohammed VI.

Support for Sahara autonomy plan

During the meeting in Lima, the elected president informed the ambassador that her administration would back Morocco’s territorial integrity and its autonomy plan for Western Sahara, according to a statement from Fujimori’s transition team.

Fujimori also conveyed her government’s support for UN Security Council Resolution 2797, which recognizes Morocco’s autonomy initiative as a viable path toward resolving the long-standing regional dispute. The ambassador presented a letter from King Mohammed VI congratulating Fujimori on her election and praising the strong bilateral relations between the two nations.

The monarch’s message highlighted the deep friendship and shared values between Morocco and Peru and expressed his commitment to deepening cooperation in a way that benefits both peoples.

Ending previous ambiguity

Fujimori’s declaration carries significant weight, signaling a clear departure from the ambiguous stances of Peru’s past governments on the Sahara issue—positions that often leaned toward support for the Polisario Front. Analysts view this shift as a deliberate break from decades of inconsistent policy.

Morocco’s territorial dispute with the Polisario dates back to the early 1980s, when Peru became one of the first countries to recognize the self-proclaimed Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic under President Fernando Beláunde Terry. Diplomatic ties with the Polisario were formalized in 1987 under his successor, Alan García, and persisted until 1996, when Alberto Fujimori—father of the current president—suspended them.

For the next 25 years, Peru’s policy remained unchanged, even as leadership shifted between Valentín Paniagua, Alejandro Toledo, Alan García (again), Ollanta Humala, Pedro Pablo Kuczynski, Martín Vizcarra, Manuel Merino, and Francisco Sagasti.

New alignment with Polisario

The brief presidency of Pedro Castillo (July 2021–December 2022) saw a brief resumption of ties with the Polisario in September 2021, though this decision was later reversed in August 2022 by then-Foreign Minister Miguel Ángel Rodríguez Mackat. However, Castillo reinstated the relations before his removal from office following an attempted power grab.

His successor, Dina Boluarte, maintained the status quo for months before suspending diplomatic relations with the Polisario in September 2023—without formally withdrawing Peru’s 1984 recognition of the SADR or endorsing Morocco’s autonomy plan, leaving the country’s stance on the issue unresolved. Subsequent interim leaders José Jeri and José María Balcázar did not address the matter. Fujimori’s election signals a return to her father’s 1996 policy, with an even stronger endorsement of Morocco’s territorial sovereignty, autonomy initiative, and UN Resolution 2797.

Morocco’s diplomatic push

Peru’s policy shift aligns with Morocco’s intensified diplomatic efforts across Latin America, where the Polisario once enjoyed widespread support. Through expanded economic, cultural, and educational cooperation, Morocco has cultivated closer ties with regional governments, positioning itself as a vital bridge between Africa, Europe, and the Arab world.

This outreach has led several countries—including Colombia, Guatemala, Paraguay, the Dominican Republic, Haiti, Jamaica, El Salvador, Guyana, Ecuador, and Panama—to suspend recognition of the SADR or sever ties with the separatist group.