Lima.- The new interim president of Peru, the leftist José María Balcázar, reaffirmed on his first day as president his controversial stance on early sexual relations, which he says help the psychological future of women and which already caused outrage in 2023 when he was a congressman.
“I never change my opinion, I am a man permanently firm in my convictions and what I speak, I speak with propriety and I consider myself a man who, in this specific case that you tell me, I have always thought well, I have exercised it as a judge and I know and have the culture to talk about that”, said Balcázar in his first interview as president, with the radio station RPP.
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Next, they were also asked about their position on child marriage, on whose prohibition Balcázar abstained from supporting in the vote that took place in Parliament in 2023, to prevent marital unions with minors. Initially, after hearing the question, Balcázar, 83 years old, asked to talk about “more important things” because he stated that they want to weave “black legends” about him on this issue. “I have a clean life and an impeccable track record in such a way that I would not like to go back to this, retracting things that journalists call in the writings,” he said. Faced with the journalist’s insistence, who questioned him about whether he had changed his mind about it, he replied that he had not. Social organizations such as the National Human Rights Coordinator (Cnddhh) rejected on Wednesday night the appointment of Balcázar, precisely recalling these statements that were ratified this Thursday.“The designation of an authority with a questionable public record and with statements that justify sexual violence against girls and adolescents generates legitimate citizen alarm (…) The statements in which he maintained that early sexual relations could ‘help the psychological future of women’ are unacceptable,” he pointed out.
He added that this position contradicts the current national and international legal framework and disregards international standards regarding the comprehensive protection of children and adolescents, including the Convention on the Rights of the Child. Similarly, the feminist organization Flora Tristán issued a statement in which it states that Balcázar has made worrying statements that have violated fundamental standards such as the best interests of the child. “Those who minimize violence against women and girls are not expressing an isolated opinion, they are showing a complacent attitude towards abuse,” she added. Balcázar assumed the Presidency on an interim basis to lead the Executive until July 28, when he will hand over the presidential command to the winner of the presidential elections that are already underway and that will have the first round on April 12th.
