The Peruvian Congress on Wednesday installed 83-year-old Marxist lawmaker José María Balcázar as new interim president of Peru following the impeachment of former interim President José Jerí.
Balcázar is a highly controversial pro-child marriage Marxist congressman presently subjected to an investigation on 13 different corruption-related charges. He is Peru’s ninth president in ten years and will serve as head of state until July 28, 2026, when the winner of the upcoming April election is inaugurated.
Peru marked a new chapter in its convoluted political history and streak of multiple and consecutive presidential impeachments this week following the removal of José Jerí from the presidency on Tuesday on allegations related to a presumptive influence peddling scandal known as “Chifagate.”
Jerí, the former head of the Peruvian Congress, took office in October 2025 after his predecessor, Dina Boluarte, was impeached. Boluarte, who took office in 2022, succeeded Marxist Pedro Castillo who, in addition to also being impeached, was arrested and convicted after he unsuccessfully attempted to dissolve Congress and stage a “self-coup.”
At press time, no president in Peru has successfully completed his or her full term since leftist former President Ollanta Humala left office in 2016. Humala and his wife Nadine Hereida were sentenced to 15 years imprisonment in April 2025 on corruption charges.
Following Tuesday’s removal of Jerí, the Peruvian Congress reconvened on Wednesday to vote on an interim president. The lawmakers’ votes are secret as per the rules of the Peruvian Congress.
Peruvian broadcaster RPP reported that the first round of votes on Wednesday saw the participation of 117 lawmakers and resulted in Balcázar obtaining 46 votes, followed by Congresswoman María del Carmen Alva, who received 43. As no candidate obtained the required minimum number of 59 votes to become interim president in the first round, a simple-majority second round was held, resulting in Balcázar’s election.
Balcázar is a member of the Marxist Free Peru political party, of which former President Pedro Castillo was a member until 2022. The new interim president is described as an ally of Castillo’s but has claimed that he will not grant a pardon to the convicted former president. Castillo’s lawyer, Walter Ayala, confirmed on Thursday that he will formally request a pardon from the new interim president. Balcázar left Free Peru in 2022 but rejoined the Marxist party in 2024.
The new Marxist interim president became the subject of widespread condemnation in 2023 after he publicly stood in defense of child marriage at a time when Peruvian lawmakers proposed a bill barring the practice, which continues to be an issue in the South American nation. At the time, Balcázar claimed that “early sexual relations” contribute to “women’s psychological future.”
“It turns out that marriage in Peru has become completely dysfunctional. Today, people don’t get married; they all live together. From the age of 14, as they said, girls are already pregnant,” Balcázar reportedly said at the time.
“So, with the law, we want to prohibit only those people who become pregnant while underage. We want to prevent that, but how? Sex continues beyond what has been said about parents selling girls in the jungle,” he continued.
Speaking to RPP on Thursday morning, Balcázar said that he “has not changed his mind” on the subject of child marriage, but claimed that his statements are “black legends” against him and that his comments were “taken out of context.”
In addition to his outrageous pro-child marriage statements. Balcázar is presently subject to ongoing legal proceedings on allegations that he committed 13 different corruption-related charges throughout his tenure as lawmaker and judge.
Some of the charges that Balcázar is being investigated on include allegations of malfeasance, fraud, embezzlement, misuse of institutional funds, bribery, and identity theft. Balcázar has publicly denied all of the allegations, claiming that, “I am used to facing criticism and attempts to discredit me, but my track record is transparent.”
Peru is slated to hold a presidential election on April 12, 2026, with a prospective runoff scheduled for June 7 should no candidate obtain the required vote threshold to win in the first round. At press time, there are 36 different presidential candidates on the ballot.
If he is not impeached like his predecessors, Balcázar will serve as interim president of Peru for roughly five months until July 28, 2026, when he will be succeeded by the winner of the upcoming election. In his inauguration speech, Balcázar claimed that he will guarantee a peaceful and orderly transition. He further claimed tor reporters on Thursday that his administration will be focused on three main areas: transparent elections, economical stability, and the fight against organized crime.
hristian K. Caruzo is a Venezuelan writer and documents life under socialism. You can follow him on Twitter here.
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