The left returned to power in Peru and Castillo could be pardoned

Amid a new political crisis in Peru, Congress elected José María Balcázar as interim president after the censure of José Jerí. With 60 votes in the second round, the leader of Perú Libre, the same party that brought Pedro Castillo to power before his removal in 2022 for attempting to dissolve Congress, will lead the transition until the 2026 general elections.

The session was marked by last-minute negotiations and a climate of high tension. In the first vote, no candidate reached the necessary majority, which forced a runoff between the two most-voted candidates. In that instance, Balcázar consolidated support from the left and added key backing from other caucuses, such as sectors of Alianza para el Progreso and Podemos Perú.

The election marks the return of the coup-plotting and communist party Perú Libre to the center of political power. It is the same group that brought Pedro Castillo to the presidency in 2021 and that was severely weakened after his removal in 2022. Now, in a scenario of parliamentary fragmentation and institutional crisis, the party once again occupies the head of state, although on an interim basis.

Balcázar is a lawyer by profession and a congressman for Perú Libre. His public image is not free from controversy. In the past, he caused controversy with statements defending child marriage, in the context of the discussion of a law to prohibit it. The legislator later maintained that his words had been "taken out of context" and reiterated that he doesn't regret what he said.

In addition, Balcázar faces judicial and professional questions: he has complaints on record for alleged influence peddling and he was permanently expelled from the Lambayeque Bar Association for misappropriation of funds, a background that once again places his public image under scrutiny at the beginning of the transition.

The vote that brought him to power took place just one day after the removal of José Jerí, amid cross-accusations and allegations of negotiations between caucuses. Various blocs justified their support for Balcázar by considering him a "less polarizing" option compared with other alternatives, in a deeply divided Congress.

With his appointment, the process now begins for the formation of the new Cabinet of Ministers, an indispensable step to guarantee the administrative continuity of the Executive. According to the Peruvian Constitution, no act of the president is valid without ministerial countersignature, so the definition of the team will be key to stabilizing the transition.

The immediate challenge for the new interim president will be to ensure governability in a country that has been dragging on years of political instability; for the population, to prevent the country from falling into communism and dictatorial aspirations. With general elections on the 2026 horizon, Balcázar's administration will be closely watched both by Parliament and by the citizenry.