ANALYSIS
Eight presidents in ten years: leftist José María Balcázar assumes interim presidency of Peru
The South American country once again changes its head of state and moves toward new elections while mired in instability.
José María Balcázar, Peruvian president.
Peru has, once again, a new president. Following the removal of José Jerí, surrounded by corruption allegations, the leftist José María Balcázar was elected to head the Peruvian Executive.
The former Supreme Court justice was elected head of the Peruvian Congress on Wednesday by his congressional counterparts. Thus, Balcazar automatically became president: local laws stipulate that when the presidency is vacant, the head of Parliament must take office.
His term, however, will be short: presidential elections must be held this year. Whoever is elected at the polls will assume leadership of the country on July 26.
"In these few months we have left, we are going to guarantee the people of Peru that there will be a peaceful democratic and electoral transition," he assured in his first speech as president in front of Parliament. He also promised transparency in the upcoming elections: "Let there be no doubts whatsoever in the elections."
A record number of more than 30 candidates are running for the presidency in the April elections, which will also mark the return to a bicameral Parliament.
Ten years, eight presidents: impeachments, one resignation and a brief exception
Peru has been going through a stability crisis for a decade. In the last ten years, the Government Palace has had eight tenants. In the same period, only one of seven presidents completed his term.
Balcázar's predecessor, Jerí, fell in disgrace in January, when the Public Prosecutor's Office opened an investigation against him for alleged influence peddling and "illegal sponsorship of interests." Under the spotlight was an undercover meeting he held with a Chinese businessman for state contracts. This month another investigation was opened for the improper hiring of nine women in his government.
Jeri himself had also reached the Presidency via Congress. Last October he replaced the ousted Dina Boluarte, removed by congressmen for her "permanent moral incapacity." Among others, they considered her incapable of solving a wave of insecurity and corruption.
Boluarte had come to the presidency from the position of vice president. The until then president, Pedro Castillo, elected at the polls, was removed by Congress after attempting to dissolve Parliament in an act deemed unconstitutional in December 2022.
Below is the list of the last presidents of Peru and their tenure in power:
- Pablo Kuczynski- 20 months in office: elected in July 2016 for five years after defeating Keiko Fujimori in a tight election. He was impeached by Congress following a corruption scandal involving the Odebrecht construction company.
- Martín Vizcarra - 32 months: Kuczynski's vice president, assumed power in March 2018 to complete a term scheduled to run until July 2021. On November 10, 2020, Congress removed him in an impeachment trial for "permanent moral incapacity."
- Manuel Merino - five days: Vizcarra's fall brought the then head of Congress, Manuel Merino, to power. He resigned after violent protests erupted that ended with two deaths.
- Francisco Sagasti - eight months: He was elected by Parliament after Merino stepped aside. His mission was to mitigate the violence in the streets. He was the only one to complete his term, leaving office in July 2021 after elections were held.
- Pedro Castillo - 17 months: a rural school teacher, of peasant origin and Marxist ideology, he ended up being removed in December 2022.
- Dina Boluarte - 34 months: Peru's first and only female president was removed from office on October 10 by the same Congress that had put her in office.
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