Peru’s new interim president is cited as an accused in a corruption trial

The new interim president of Peru, the leftist José María Balcázar, is summoned to appear as an accused in a trial where he is accused of allegedly having appropriated funds from the Bar Association of which he was dean.

The Superior Court of Justice of Lambayeque, a region on the northern coast of Peru, confirmed this Friday in a statement that the trial against Balcázar has been scheduled since last year for June 16, a date on which he will likely still be leading the transitional government. Balcázar was notified of the trial start date on September 5th, so he was aware of his legal situation at the time he offered himself as a candidate to succeed the right-wing José Jerí as interim president, who was removed on Tuesday on suspicion of influence peddling. As this case predates the start of his duties as a congressman in 2021 and his subsequent appointment as interim head of state, the immunity of the office does not exempt him from facing this trial. The president is accused of having appropriated funds from the Lambayeque Bar Association, where he served as dean.

A few hours before his appointment as interim president, this professional association issued a statement urging Parliament to dismiss his candidacy, pointing out that Balcázar was charged with the crimes of misappropriation of funds from the institution, change of ownership of accounts in different financial institutions and defrauding a legal entity.

“More than ever, we require the Public Ministry and the Judiciary to assume their commitment to integrity with Peruvian society and begin the corresponding trial, vetoing its statute of limitations”, stated the College, which expelled Balcázar from its institution for this reason.

Balcázar also became a provisional judge of the Supreme Court of Justice of Peru, where he overturned a ruling that was already final, which motivated his removal years after this instance, and as a lawyer he has defended cases of those accused of sexual abuse of minors, according to reports from several local media. The new leader reaffirmed this Thursday his controversial statements that sex at an early age helps the psychological development of women, while rejecting the accusations against him by calling them “black legends” and assuring that everything is archived, although it has now been confirmed that he has, at least, this pending trial.