The acting president of the Republic of Peru, José María Balcázar Zelada, will face an oral trial for the crime of common unlawful appropriation, in a proceeding linked to acts to the detriment of the Lambayeque Bar Association.
The summons was ordered by the Second Single-Person Criminal Court of Chiclayo, which concluded that the case has passed the previous procedural stages and must move forward to the formal trial phase.
Balcázar assumed the leadership of the State on February 18, 2026, after he was elected president of Congress and placed in the line of constitutional succession amid a new political crisis. His arrival at the Executive Branch occurred in a context of institutional instability, which has increased public attention on the criminal proceeding that he faces.
According to the court ruling, the hearing to begin the oral trial was scheduled for June 16, 2026 at 10:00 a.m. The court established that the proceeding may be held in person or virtually, including through platforms such as Google Meet, if the judicial body so determines.
The attendance of the head of state is mandatory and, in the event of unjustified absence, he could be declared a contumacious defendant, which would allow the issuance of arrest warrants and the continuation of the proceeding in his absence.
The case file states that Balcázar is under investigation for acts classified under Article 190 of the Peruvian Criminal Code, which penalizes unlawful appropriation. The court indicated that it is competent to hear the case and that it must assess at oral trial the evidence presented by the Public Prosecutor's Office and the defense.
The proceeding has its origin in alleged acts committed during Balcázar's tenure as dean of the Lambayeque Bar Association. The institution issued a public statement in which it expressed its rejection of his candidacy for the presidency of Congress, a position that later placed him in the line of presidential succession, and expressed "deep concern, indignation, discomfort, pain, and sadness" among its members.
