Peru Appoints Eighth President in a Decade Amid Endless Political Turmoil
LIMA, Peru — In a stark symbol of Peru's deepening political dysfunction, Congress on Wednesday elected 83-year-old left-wing legislator José María Balcázar as the country's interim president — marking the eighth head of state in just over a decade. Balcázar, a lawyer and former judge who also serves as head of Congress, was sworn in hours after lawmakers voted to remove his predecessor, José Jerí, following impeachment on February 17 over corruption allegations. Jerí, who took office in October 2025 after the ouster of Dina Boluarte, lasted only four months amid accusations of undisclosed meetings with a Chinese businessman and other graft-related probes. The rapid turnover highlights a pattern that has plagued Peru since 2016: a toxic mix of congressional overreach, fragmented political parties, and widespread corruption probes that prevent stable leadership. Only one president — Ollanta Humala (2011–2016) — completed a full term in recent memory. Since then, four presidents...