— was elected to the Legislative Branch in the 2021 General Elections with Peru Libre (Free Peru Party) and represents the northern Lambayeque region.
He has been serving as a member of the Peru Bicentenario (Bicentennial Peru) parliamentary group.
In Congress, Balcazar Zelada chaired the Education, Youth, and Sports Committee during the 2023–2024 legislative term.
Likewise, he headed the special panel tasked with selecting eligible candidates for the election of justices to the Constitutional Court over the same period.
He is a lawyer by profession and holds postgraduate academic studies.
His professional career includes service as a professor at the Pedro Ruiz Gallo University Faculty of Law (1977-2021) and as a Judiciary magistrate (1982-2021).
Born on January 17, 1943, Jose Maria Balcazar Zelada is assuming his first elected public office and his first term in Congress.
According to official records, he has no administrative sanctions and no civil or criminal convictions on file.
Jose Maria Balcazar Zelada was sworn in on Wednesday night as President of the Republic under the constitutional line of succession.
He replaces Jose Jeri, who was censured the previous day by Congress.