Peru Congress picks country’s eighth president in a decade

South China Morning PostCenter-RightEN 1 min read 100% complete by Agence France-PresseFebruary 19, 2026 at 07:21 AM

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Jose Maria Balcazar was chosen by Peru's Congress as the country's interim president on Wednesday, following the impeachment of Jose Jeri on corruption allegations. Balcazar, an 83-year-old left-wing lawmaker and head of Congress, becomes Peru's eighth president since 2016. His appointment ends a power vacuum lasting over 24 hours. Balcazar will lead the nation until a new president is inaugurated on July 28, following the upcoming April 12 presidential election. Jeri's impeachment highlights the ongoing political instability in Peru, marked by conflict between Congress and the executive branch amidst corruption and violence.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

Jose Jeri ×270% Congress ×270% Jose Maria Balcazar ×390% Peru ×4100%

Keywords

peru 100% interim president 90% political instability 80% congress 70% corruption 60% impeachment 60% presidential election 50% jose maria balcazar 50% power vacuum 40%

Sentiment Analysis

Negative

Score: -0.40

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Source

South China Morning Post

Political Lean

Center-Right (0.50)

Far LeftCenterFar Right

Classification Confidence

85%

This article was automatically classified using rule-based analysis. The political bias score ranges from -1 (far left) to +1 (far right).

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peru interim president political instability congress corruption impeachment presidential election jose maria balcazar power vacuum

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