José María Balcázar
José María Balcázar | |
|---|---|
Balcázar in 2026 | |
| President of Peru | |
| Assumed office 18 February 2026 | |
| Prime Minister | Ernesto Álvarez Denisse Miralles |
| Vice President |
|
| Preceded by | José Jerí |
| President of Congress | |
On Leave | |
| Assumed office 18 February 2026 | |
| Vice President | 1st Vice President Fernando Rospigliosi 2nd Vice President Waldemar Cerrón 3rd Vice President Ilich López |
| Preceded by | Fernando Rospigliosi (acting) |
| Succeeded by | Fernando Rospigliosi (acting) |
| Member of Congress | |
| In office 27 July 2021 – 18 February 2026 | |
| Constituency | Lambayeque |
| Personal details | |
| Born | José María Balcázar Zelada 17 January 1943 |
| Party | Independent (2022–2025, 2026–present) |
| Other political affiliations | Now Nation (2025–2026) Free Peru (2020–2022) |
| Relations | Joaquín Ramírez |
| Education | National University of Trujillo |
| Occupation |
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José María Balcázar Zelada (born 17 January 1943) is a Peruvian politician and lawyer who has been the 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 but remains as an independent, after Bicentennial Peru's dissolution. He was briefly a member of Alfonso López Chau's party, Now Nation, until he was expelled in early 2026.
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.