José María Balcázar

José María Balcázar Zelada (born 17 January 1943) is a Peruvian politician and lawyer who has been the 66th president of Peru since 2026. He was a member of the Congress of Peru from 2021 until 2026.

Presidency
On 18 February 2026, after President José Jerí was impeached, Balcázar was nominated by Free Peru for President of Congress and for the presidency of Peru. After several hours of voting, he was elected president by the Congress with 60 votes in the final ballot, beating Congresswoman Maricarmen Alva of the Popular Action party. 

At 83 years old, Balcázar is the oldest person ever to be sworn in as president of Peru.

On 22 February, his government announced that economist Hernando de Soto would be the next prime minister. However, two days later, his appointment was cancelled and Denisse Miralles was picked as prime minister instead.

Political views
During his time in congress, Balcázar debated against making child marriage illegal because he believed that, without violence, such marriages would help a young girl's mental health. He also believed that sexual relationships between students and teachers are a good thing.

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Category:1943 births
Category:Living people
Category:Presidents of Peru
Category:Peruvian lawyers
Category:Judges
Category:Current national leaders