Lima (Peru), Feb. 19 (LaPresse) – The Peruvian Congress has elected legislator José María Balcázar as the country’s eighth president in a decade, replacing another interim leader who was removed the day before over corruption allegations just four months into his term. Balcázar, an 83-year-old former judge representing the left-wing party Perú Libre, defeated three other candidates with a majority of the 130-member parliament.
The ongoing turnover of the presidency in Peru reflects a political crisis fueled by the lack of legislative majorities for leaders. Lawmakers have often used a broad interpretation of a constitutional article regarding “permanent moral incapacity” to remove sitting presidents. Congress voted to remove conservative interim president José Jerí after four months in office.
The current Congress, which began its term in 2021, has now impeached three heads of state: Pedro Castillo, Dina Boluarte, and Jerí. In October 2025, Jerí held the position of president of Congress and was next in the line of succession to replace Boluarte, who had no vice presidents. His removal followed revelations about his secret meetings with Chinese entrepreneurs, including a state contractor. Jerí stated that he was simply coordinating a Peruvian-Chinese festival. The Prosecutor’s Office has opened two preliminary investigations into Jerí for alleged illegal sponsorship of private interests and influence peddling to the detriment of the state.
The new president will govern for five months before handing power to the winner of the general elections on April 12, when Peruvians will choose a new president and a new parliament. If no presidential candidate obtains more than 50% of the vote, the top two candidates will advance to a June runoff. Balcázar’s successor will face a wave of murders and extortion that continues to devastate small business owners and the working class. Various political groups are calling for concrete guarantees to ensure transparent
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