Peru interim president seeks lifetime pension

Peru's interim President José María Balcázar has formally requested a lifetime pension from Congress as his brief term concludes on July 28. On this date, he is scheduled to transfer power to the newly elected president, Keiko Fujimori.

The request, submitted to the Parliament's Presiding Officers, seeks the "recognition and granting" of the regular financial allowance historically provided to former heads of state. Balcázar's petition cites provisions from Peru's Political Constitution and the Law of General Administrative Procedure. He argues that his assumption of the presidency through constitutional succession and interim measures makes the request legitimate, especially as he approaches the end of his active public service.

Balcázar, who also remains a congressman for the left-wing Perú Libre party, stated in his letter that having completed his interim mandate, it is appropriate to "regularize my provisional status in accordance with the dignity of the office held."

Analysts and media in Lima have pointed to a 2022 report by the Congressional Constitution Commission. This report concluded that lifetime pensions for former presidents should not be granted generically. Instead, the legislative criterion specifies that such pensions are exclusively for presidents elected by popular vote who have completed their full five-year constitutional term.

Balcázar's request has revived a contentious debate about incentives and economic benefits for former leaders in a nation grappling with a profound governance crisis. Peru has seen eight different presidents in the last decade due to forced dismissals and resignations orchestrated by the legislature. Balcázar assumed the interim presidency on February 18, 2026, replacing José Jerí, who was removed by Parliament amid public scrutiny over alleged secret meetings with Chinese business delegations and irregularities in hiring practices.