Peru picks Jose Maria Balcazar as interim President, eighth leader in a decade
The Hindu
Jose Maria Balcazar is appointed as Peru's interim President, marking the eighth leadership change in a decade amid political turmoil.
Peruvian lawmakers picked Jose Maria Balcazar as the country's new interim President on Wednesday (February 18, 2026), after previous leader Jose Jeri was impeached on graft allegations.
The left-wing lawmaker was elected head of Peru's Congress after a vote broadcast live on TV, meaning the 83-year-old lawyer and former judge will become the country's eighth head of state since 2016.
The vote brought to an end a power vacuum of more than 24 hours, unprecedented in the country's recent history.
Mr. Balcazar will lead the country until his successor takes office on July 28, after the Presidential election on April 12.
"In these few months that remain, we will guarantee the people of Peru a peaceful and transparent democratic and electoral transition, leaving no room for doubt in the elections," Mr. Balcazar said in a speech to parliament.
Mr. Jeri, 39, became the latest leader to fall victim to a cycle of institutional turmoil as a powerful Congress battles a weakened executive against a backdrop of chronic corruption and rising violence.
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