Peru’s Congress Elects Eighth President In A Decade

LIMA, Peru (AP) — Peru’s Congress on Wednesday elected legislator José María Balcázar as the country’s new interim president, replacing another interim leader who was ousted a day earlier over corruption allegations with just four months left in his term.

Balcázar, who won a majority in the 130-member parliament, became Peru’s eighth president in a decade. defeat the other three candidates. The current Congress, whose term begins in 2021, has now impeached three presidents: Pedro Castillo, Dina Boluarte and José Jerí.

Balcázar, an 83-year-old former judge who represents the leftist Peru Libre party, will remain in power for five months before handing power to the winner of general elections on April 12, when Peruvians will elect a new president, House of Representatives and 60 senators. If no presidential candidate receives more than 50 percent of the vote, the two leading candidates will participate in a runoff election in June.

The past decade in Peru has been defined by chronic political instability, largely caused by the lack of a legislative majority for leaders who have been impeached or resigned, leaving them vulnerable to lawmakers who have broadly interpreted a constitutional clause that impeaches presidents for “moral incompetence.”

In October 2025, Jerí was serving as president of the Congress and was next in line to replace Boluarte, who was not vice president. Followed by sudden decline Undisclosed meetings with Chinese government contractors once again leaving the nation searching for a firm hand to reach the finish line of the democratic cycle.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Below is AP’s earlier story.

LIMA, Peru (AP) — Peru’s Congress will hold the country’s election Wednesday eighth president in ten years to replace a new one Overthrown former leader José JeríFour MPs who are largely unknown to the public are running for the position.

The candidate who receives the most votes will rule the country as interim president until July 28, when he will hand over power to the winner of the general elections to be held on April 12.

The revolving door presidency in Peru reflects a political crisis caused by the lack of a legislative majority for leaders. Lawmakers have often used a broad interpretation of the constitutional clause regarding “permanent moral incapacity” to impeach sitting presidents.

On Tuesday, Congress voted to remove Jeri from office after four months on the job. lifting followed the explanations about it Undisclosed meetings with Chinese business ownersincluding a government contractor. Jerí claimed that he was only coordinating a Peruvian-Chinese festival.

The prosecutor’s office opened two preliminary investigations against Jerí for allegations of illegal sponsorship of private interests and influence peddling to the detriment of the state.

Congress announced Tuesday that four candidates have officially registered for Wednesday night’s ballot. The level of support for each was unclear. To win, a candidate must receive a majority of available votes. If a majority is not achieved, the two leading candidates will go to a second round and the person with the most votes will win.

The leading candidate is thought to be 58-year-old lawyer María del Carmen Alva, who was nominated by the conservative Popular Action Party. Alva, who previously served as speaker of Congress, comes from a family with significant interests in the agricultural export industry, particularly in companies that ship asparagus to international markets, including the United States.

Another candidate is Héctor Acuña, a 68-year-old engineer who represents the conservative Dignity and Democracy group. He has significant private sector experience but is generally considered to have less traditional political experience than his rivals. He is the brother of César Acuña, a millionaire former governor and presidential candidate for the April 12 elections under the banner of the Alliance for Progress. The party has previously provided significant support to former presidents Dina Boluarte and Jerí.

The other candidates are 83-year-old former judge José María Balcázar, who represents the leftist Peru Libre party, and 73-year-old sociologist Edgard Reymundo, from the leftist Bloque Democrático.

Jerí’s successor will face an increase in murders and extortions that continue to devastate small business owners and the working class.

Various political groups are demanding firm guarantees for a transparent election, which will also elect a new Congress consisting of 130 members of the House of Representatives and 60 members of the Senate.