Peru's Congress Elects New President

Peru's Congress has elected 83-year-old leftist Jose Balcazar as the nation's eighth president in eight years, underscoring a period of profound political instability. Balcazar, who replaces a leader ousted by scandal, now faces the challenge of overseeing transparent elections despite his own controversial past comments defending child marriage.

Peru's Congress elected lawmaker Jose Balcazar as its new leader on Wednesday, who was subsequently sworn in as the country's president.
His term is set to run through July 28, 2026, aligning with the current presidential mandate and leading up to general elections.
Balcazar, an 83-year-old leftist legislator, replaces Jose Jeri, who was ousted after just four months in office due to a scandal involving undisclosed meetings with a Chinese businessman, as reported by Reuters.
This election marks Balcazar as Peru's eighth president in eight years, underscoring a period of significant political instability and a "revolving-door presidency," according to The Washington Post.
As The Guardian reported, Balcázar has faced controversy for previously defending child marriage, stating, "From the age of 14 onwards, there should be no impediment; everyone has sexual relations".
Balcazar's interim mandate includes overseeing credible and transparent elections, with Peruvians heading to the polls on April 12 and a potential run-off in June.