Recently appointed President of Peru is summoned to trial for alleged illegal appropriation

Published at: 20/02/2026 10:32 PM

The recently appointed interim president of Peru, José María Balcázar, was summoned this Thursday by the Second Unipersonal Court of Chiclayo to trial for the alleged crime of illegal appropriation, for events that occurred between 2019 and 2022, when he served as dean of the Illustrious Bar Association of Lambayeque (ICAL).

The hearing has been scheduled for June 16, with continuation dates scheduled for June 23 and 30, either virtually or in the courtroom of the Superior Court of Justice of Lambayeque, in Chiclayo. The judge ordered the mandatory presence of the president and warned that, in case of absence, he will be declared a contumacious convict and arrest warrants will be issued at the national level.

The court also ordered the mandatory appearance of witnesses considered key to clarify the internal management of the Bar Association in the period under investigation, as well as the participation of an accounting expert. According to the resolution, these testimonies and expertise will be decisive in establishing whether or not there was fraudulent management of ICAL funds.

Balcázar took office as head of state on February 18, 2026 after being elected president of the Congress in an internal vote, and by constitutional succession he assumed the Presidency in a context of political crisis and institutional instability.

Mazo News Team