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José María Balcázar

In this Hispanic American name, the first or paternal surname is Balcázar and the second or maternal family name is Zelada.

José María Balcázar
Knownlyx encyclopedia image
Balcázar in 2026
66th President of Peru
Incumbent
Assumed office
18 February 2026
Prime MinisterErnesto Álvarez
Denisse Miralles
Vice President
  • First Vice President
    Vacant
  • Second Vice President
    Vacant
Preceded byJosé Jerí
President of Congress
On Leave
Assumed office
18 February 2026[a]
Vice President1st Vice President
Fernando Rospigliosi
2nd Vice President
Waldemar Cerrón
3rd Vice President
Ilich López
Preceded byFernando Rospigliosi (acting)
Succeeded byFernando Rospigliosi (acting)
Member of Congress
In office
27 July 2021 – 18 February 2026
ConstituencyLambayeque
Personal details
BornJosé María Balcázar Zelada
(1943-01-17) 17 January 1943 (age 83)
Nánchoc, Cajamarca, Peru
PartyFree Peru
(2020–2022, 2024–present)
Other political
affiliations		Bicentennial Peru (2022–2024)
RelationsJoaquín Ramírez
EducationNational University of Trujillo
Occupation
  • Politician
  • lawyer
  • judge

José María Balcázar Zelada (born 17 January 1943) is a Peruvian politician and lawyer who has been the 66th president of Peru since 2026. First elected to Congress of Peru as a member of the Free Peru party in 2021, he resigned his membership in 2022 and helped found Bicentennial Peru, a parliamentary bloc of dissident Free Peru congresspeople. He returned to the Free Peru caucus in 2024, after Bicentennial Peru's dissolution.

Following the censure and removal of José Jerí from the presidency on 17 February 2026, Balcázar was elected as president of Congress and in turn voted in as president of Peru the following day. Balcázar has faced controversy in his political career, including criminal investigations related to allegations of illicit appropriation of funds, his links to Patricia Benavides during the Peruvian Public Ministry controversy, and criticism of his views on child marriage.[1]

Early life

Balcázar was born on 17 January 1943 in Nánchoc, Cajamarca, Peru. He studied law at the National University of Trujillo, graduating in 1972. In 2005, he obtained a doctorate in law and political science from Pedro Ruiz Gallo National University. He also worked as a professor at the law school at the national university since 1977.[2]

Balcázar was a senior member of the Superior Court of Justice of Lambayeque. He was a provisional supreme member of the Supreme Court of Peru, where he served as a judge of the Permanent Civil Chamber.[3] However, in August 2004, after vacating a cassation ruling issued by the chamber's previous members in 2003—thereby violating the legal principle of res judicata (claim preclusion)—he was subjected to disciplinary proceedings by the then National Council of the Judiciary of Peru [es] (CNM). This led to his temporary removal in 2006. While these proceedings were ongoing, he also faced scrutiny for the July 2005 release of the Wolfenson brothers—associates of Vladimiro Montesinos and owners of the newspapers La Razón [es] and El Chino. This release was based on an unconstitutional law, a decision that his own chamber eventually retracted. Following years of delays, he was officially removed from the bench in 2011 after the CNM declined to ratify him. The council cited two primary reasons: his prior disciplinary record and the poor legal reasoning demonstrated during his ratification interview, which failed to meet the standards required for the position.[4][5][6]

In 2019, he was elected dean of the Illustrious Bar Association of Lambayeque (ICAL) for a two-year term (2019–2020).[5] He was later expelled in 2022 and investigated for the crime of misappropriation of the institution's funds, which has resulted in criminal and civil proceedings in Lambayeque. His expulsion from the association was ratified at the end of 2024.[7][8]

During his administration as Dean of the Lambayeque bar association, he was accused of misappropriating approximately two million peruvian soles (approximately US$600,000) by requesting that the association's income be deposited into his personal bank accounts. As a result, he is currently facing ongoing legal proceedings. Furthermore, he was expelled from the Bar Association in 2022, a decision that was ratified in December 2024.[5][9][10]

Political career

For the 2021 general election, Balcázar was announced as a candidate for Congress of the Republic of Peru to represent the Department of Lambayeque for the left-wing Free Peru Party. Balcázar was elected congressman, with 6641 votes during the election.[11] Balcázar ran to join the Board of Directors of Congress in 2021, but was not successful.[12] He also unsuccessfully ran for President of the Congress of Peru in 2022.[13]

Balcázar faced criticism for his involvement in the controversy surrounding former prosecutor Patricia Benavides.[14] Canal N reported that Balcázar provided Benavides' advisors his daughter-in-law's curriculum vitae and that she was later given a position in the Prosecutor's Office.[15] He aligned with far-right members of congress amidst the Peruvian Public Ministry controversy, supporting the dissolution of the National Board of Justice,[16] which was investigating Benavides for heading a criminal organization.

During his tenure in congress, Balcázar has received criticism for some of his views. In 2023, he argued against the criminalization of child marriage by stating that, without violence, such marriages would benefit a young girl's mental development.[17][18][19] He also spoke favourably about sexual relationships between students and teachers.[20][21]

Balcázar resigned from the Peru Libre caucus in June 2022 and formed the Bicentennial Peru caucus, a left-wing caucus.[22] Following the dissolution of the caucus in 2024, he subsequently returned to Free Peru party caucus, but remained without party affiliation. Balcázar joined the Now Nation party at the end of 2024,[23] but was expelled from the party in January 2025. He is not running for re-election in the 2026 general election.

Presidency (2026–present)

Main article: Presidency of José María Balcázar

On 18 February 2026, following the censure and removal of President José Jerí, Balcázar was nominated by Free Peru for President of Congress and for the presidency of Peru.[24] After several hours of voting, he was elected president by the Congress with 60 votes in the final ballot, defeating Congresswoman Maricarmen Alva of the Popular Action party.[25][26] At 83, Balcázar is the oldest person to ever be sworn in as president of Peru.[27]

On 22 February, his government announced that economist Hernando de Soto would serve as the next prime minister.[28] However, two days later, his appointment was cancelled and Denisse Miralles was sworn in as prime minister instead.[29]

Notes

  1. ^ Balcázar ascended to the presidency when he took the presidency of congress, on leave since then.

References

  1. ^ Collyns, Dan (19 February 2026). "Leftist who defended child marriage elected as Peru's interim president". The Guardian. Retrieved 21 February 2026.
  2. ^ "JNE – Plataforma Electoral" (in Spanish). Plataforma Historic. Retrieved 18 February 2026.[dead link]
  3. ^ "Desde Chiclayo, exvocal supremo opina sobre indulto a Fujimori". Larcery. Archived from the original on 26 February 2025. Retrieved 18 February 2026.
  4. ^ Oré, Diego Casimiro (18 February 2026). "José María Balcázar y la historia de cómo fue expulsado del Poder Judicial". infobae (in Spanish). Retrieved 19 February 2026.
  5. ^ a b c Hurtado, Rosario (21 September 2021). "¿Quién es José María Balcázar Zelada, el presidente de la Comisión Especial del Congreso que elegirá a los miembros del Tribunal Constitucional?". Instituto de defensa Legal (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 21 June 2024. Retrieved 19 February 2026.
  6. ^ "José María Balcázar: perfil y cuestionamientos del candidato de Perú Libre al Congreso". Correo (in Spanish). 18 February 2026. Retrieved 19 February 2026.
  7. ^ "Conflicto en ICAL conllevó a la vacancia de su decano". Archived from the original on 26 February 2025. Retrieved 19 February 2026.
  8. ^ "Fiscalía formalizó investigación preparatoria contra exdecano del ICAL".
  9. ^ "Fiscalía formalizó investigación preparatoria contra exdecano del ICAL" (in Spanish). La Republica. Archived from the original on 20 May 2025. Retrieved 18 February 2026.
  10. ^ Willax (12 November 2023). "José María Balcázar: acusación fiscal da cuenta que se apropió ilícitamente de más de 2 millones de soles en Lambayeque". Willax (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 12 April 2024. Retrieved 19 February 2026.
  11. ^ "Infogob – Elecciones parlamentarias del 2021". infogob. Archived from the original on 10 December 2022. Retrieved 18 February 2026.
  12. ^ "Mesa Directiva: presentan tercera lista conformada por Somos Perú, Perú Libre, JPP y Partido Morado" (in Spanish). Caretas. Retrieved 18 February 2026.[dead link]
  13. ^ "José Balcázar Zelada postula a la Presidencia del Congreso" (in Spanish). Comunicaciones. Archived from the original on 25 December 2025. Retrieved 18 February 2026.
  14. ^ "Fiscalía presenta acusación contra José Balcázar: los detalles del caso y los intentos del congresista para archivarlo" (in Spanish). El Comercio. 4 January 2024. ISSN 1605-3052. Archived from the original on 16 July 2025. Retrieved 4 September 2025.
  15. ^ "Nuera del congresista José María Balcázar fue nombrada en la Fiscalía tras reunión con asesores de Patricia Benavides". Canal N (in Spanish). 4 December 2023. Archived from the original on 19 February 2026. Retrieved 19 February 2026.
  16. ^ "Operación blindaje". IDL-Reporteros (in Spanish). 26 November 2024. Retrieved 19 February 2026.
  17. ^ "José María Balcázar insiste en defender matrimonio infantil: Estas son sus indignantes declaraciones". El Comercio (in Spanish). 2 November 2023. ISSN 1605-3052. Retrieved 4 September 2025.
  18. ^ Diego Casimiro Ore (2 November 2023). "Congresista Balcázar y su nuevo aberrante comentario para justificar las relaciones sexuales con menores". Infobae (in Spanish). Retrieved 19 February 2026.
  19. ^ "Perú: José Balcázar defiende "relaciones sexuales" con niñas". Deutsche Welle (in Spanish). 1 July 2023. Retrieved 19 February 2026.
  20. ^ "Ministerio de la Mujer rechaza declaraciones de congresista Balcázar a favor del matrimonio infantil". El Comercio (in Spanish). 2 November 2023. ISSN 1605-3052. Archived from the original on 19 December 2025. Retrieved 4 September 2025.
  21. ^ Collyns, Dan (19 February 2026). "Leftist who defended child marriage elected as Peru's interim president". The Guardian.
  22. ^ "Congresista José María Balcázar renunció a la bancada de Perú Libre". Radio Nacional. Archived from the original on 14 May 2023. Retrieved 18 February 2026.
  23. ^ "José María Balcázar se une al partido de Alfonso López Chau en medio de críticas" (in Spanish). Ahora. 14 January 2025. Retrieved 4 September 2025.
  24. ^ "Parlamento elige hoy nuevo presidente de Perú entre cuatro candidatos" (in Spanish). Prensa Latina. 18 February 2026. Retrieved 18 February 2026.
  25. ^ "Peru appoints Jose Maria Balcazar as president after Jose Jeri's removal". Al Jazeera. 18 February 2026. Archived from the original on 19 February 2026. Retrieved 18 February 2026.
  26. ^ "Peru installs Jose Balcazar as interim president after Jeri ousted in political upheaval". Reuters. 18 February 2026. Retrieved 18 February 2026.
  27. ^ "Leftist lawmaker Jose Maria Balcazar becomes Peru's interim president". MSN. 19 February 2026. Retrieved 19 February 2026.
  28. ^ Press, Associated (23 February 2026). "Excandidato presidencial Hernando de Soto es nombrado primer ministro del gobierno interino en Perú" [Former presidential candidate Hernando de Soto is appointed prime minister of the interim government in Peru]. AP News (in Spanish). Retrieved 23 February 2026.
  29. ^ "Peru: Denisse Miralles sworn in new Prime Minister". Andina. 23 February 2026. Retrieved 23 February 2026.

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Source: Wikipedia.