# José María Balcázar

_Peruvian lawyer and politician, president of Peru (feb.-jul. 2026)_

Canonical: https://diginpl.com/people/jose-maria-balcazar
Last updated: 2026-11-05

> José María Balcázar Zelada is a Peruvian politician and lawyer who served as the president of Peru from 18 February to 28 July 2026. First elected to Congress of Peru as a member of the Free Peru party in 2021, he resigned his membership in 2022 and helped found Bicentennial Peru, a parliamentary bloc of dissident Free Peru congresspeople. He returned to the Free Peru caucus in 2024 but remains as an independent, after Bicentennial Peru's dissolution. He was briefly a member of Alfonso López-Chau's party, Now Nation, until he was expelled in early 2026.

## Quick facts

- **Born:** 17 January 1943 ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q108414587#P569))
- **Place of birth:** Nanchoc District ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q108414587#P19))
- **Citizenship:** Peru ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q108414587#P27))
- **Occupation:** politician; lawyer ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q108414587#P106))
- **Political party:** Free Peru (2020–2022) ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q108414587#P102))
- **Education:** National University of Trujillo ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q108414587#P69))
- **Positions held:** president of the Congress of the Republic of Peru (since 18 February 2026 · BS 5 Falgun 2082 onwards); President of Peru (since 18 February 2026 · BS 5 Falgun 2082 onwards); member of the Congress of the Republic of Peru (26 July 2021 – 26 July 2026 · BS 10 Shrawan 2078 – 10 Shrawan 2083) ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q108414587#P39))

## Questions

**When was José María Balcázar born?**  
José María Balcázar was born on 17 January 1943 in Nanchoc District.

**What positions has José María Balcázar held?**  
Positions held by José María Balcázar include: president of the Congress of the Republic of Peru (since 18 February 2026); President of Peru (since 18 February 2026); member of the Congress of the Republic of Peru (2021–2026).

**Where did José María Balcázar study?**  
José María Balcázar was educated at National University of Trujillo.

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## Sources

- [Wikipedia (English): José María Balcázar](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jos%C3%A9_Mar%C3%ADa_Balc%C3%A1zar) — [CC BY-SA 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)
- [Wikidata item Q108414587](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q108414587) — [CC0 1.0](https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/)
- [Image: José María Balcázar.jpg by Ministerio de la Producción (CC BY 2.0)](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Jos%C3%A9_Mar%C3%ADa_Balc%C3%A1zar.jpg)

## Licence and attribution

Text from the Wikipedia article José María Balcázar, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. This page's text is shared under the same licence. Facts from Wikidata (CC0). Image: José María Balcázar.jpg — Ministerio de la Producción, CC BY 2.0.

## Cite this page

"José María Balcázar". DigiNepal. Last updated 5 November 2026. https://diginpl.com/people/jose-maria-balcazar. Retrieved 7 November 2026.