The president of Peru (), officially the constitutional president of the Republic of Peru (), is the head of state and head of government of Peru. The president is the head of the executive branch and is the supreme head of the Armed Forces and National Police of Peru. The office of president corresponds to the highest magistracy in the country, making the president the highest-ranking public official in Peru. Due to broadly interpreted impeachment wording in the 1993 Constitution of Peru, the Congress of Peru can impeach the president without cause, effectively making the executive branch subject to the legislature.
The president is elected to control the general policy of the government, work with the Congress of the Republic and the Council of Ministers to enact reform, and be an administrator of the state, enforcing the constitution, which establishes the presidential requirements, rights, and obligations. The executive branch is located at the Palacio de Gobierno, located in the historic center of Lima. The building has been used and occupied by the heads of state of Peru, dating back to Francisco Pizarro and the viceroys of Peru.
The current president is Keiko Fujimori. She was sworn into office on 28 July 2026.
Presidential terms and transitions
Constitutional limits Ordinarily, the president is elected to a five-year term, and is barred from immediate reelection. A former president can run again after being out of office for a full term. The presidential inauguration takes place on 28 July in Congress. The date also marks the independence from Spain and is a national holiday. The Congress of the Republic has the power to end a president's term prematurely through impeachment. Under Article 113 of the Constitution of 1993, the president can be removed due to death, "permanent moral or physical disability" determined by Congress, resignation, fleeing national territory without permission from Congress, or dismissal for committing infractions outlined in Article 117 of the Constitution. Four presidents have been successfully impeached and removed from office: Alberto Fujimori (2000), Martín Vizcarra (2020, second impeachment), Pedro Castillo (2022, third impeachment), and Dina Boularte (2025).
Several presidents of Peru have attempted to resign due to political crisis: Juan Antonio Pezet (1865), Mariano Ignacio Prado (1868), Miguel Iglesias (1885), Andrés Avelino Cáceres (1895), Guillermo Billinghurst (1914), Alberto Fujimori (2000), Pedro Pablo Kuczynski (2018) and Manuel Merino (2020). In addition, the first two presidents, Riva Agüero and José Bernardo de Tagle, were forcefully removed from office during the Peruvian War of Independence. There have also been a number of unrecognized presidents: in 1992 and 2019, after the dissolution of the Congress, the legislative body unsuccessfully removed the president from office and swore in vice presidents as the de facto president.
There have been 20 attempted coups d'état in Peru's history, 16 of which were successful. The last successful coup d'état was carried out by Alberto Fujimori in 1992, who was later imprisoned for human rights violations and corruption. The most recent attempted coup occurred in 2022 when Pedro Castillo attempted to dissolve the Congress.
History
During its more than 190 years of independence, Peru has been ruled by the military leaders who fought for independence, the leaders of the War of the Pacific, representatives of the aristocracy, and democratically elected leaders. Also, the history of the presidency has involved civil wars, coups and violence. More than once, several individuals claimed the right to be president at the same time. Different titles have been used, such as "Protector of Peru" (used by José de San Martín), and "Supreme Protector" (by Andrés de Santa Cruz).
Pre-Republican era The first state recognizable as such under current concepts in the central Andes was the Wari civilization, whose system of government has not yet been fully unraveled. Later, between the thirteenth century and the sixteenth century, the Inca civilization developed, whose State, based on the political management of reciprocity and alien to all European conceptions of then and now, had the Sapa Inca at its head.
The modern Peruvian state is the heir of the Viceroyalty of Peru. In 1532, the Spanish conquerors arrived in the territory, imposed their dominion and managed to establish a Spanish dependency. This dependence began as governorships corresponding to the conquerors, with the title of "Governor". The Governorate of the New Toledo (Diego de Almagro) – which otherwise never consolidated – had as its capital the city of Cusco, the current historical capital of Peru. The Governorate of the New Castile (Francisco Pizarro) had as its capital the City of Kings, as Lima was also called initially and it was on this that the viceroyalty was instituted after the civil wars.
In 1542, the Viceroyalty of Peru was established, whose government was held by the representative of the king of Spain (head of state) with the title of Viceroy of Peru (head of government). The true organizer of the viceregal state was Francisco de Toledo. This period had only two stages corresponding to the two Spanish dynasties, the houses of Habsburg and Bourbon, and lasted 282 years from its establishment in 1542 to the Capitulation of Ayacucho in 1824, despite the independence of Peru in 1821.
José Fernando de Abascal was in charge of centralizing Spanish political and military power in Peru. His successors, the last viceroys of Peru were parallel to José de San Martín and his first successors. Joaquín de la Pezuela and José de la Serna faced the liberating armies and the last of them signed the capitulation. Finally, Pío Tristán was the interim viceroy in charge of transferring power to the patriots.
Republic era In July 1821, during the Peruvian War of Independence, the autonomous states lying in the viceroyalty of Peru declared themselves as independent and sovereign from influence and mediation from the Spanish Empire. Recognizing the impending threat of Spanish backlash to regain their lost colonies, the autonomous viceroyalty began to draft a constitution on which they would decide to base the sovereign nation. The Act of Independence was signed in Lima on 15 August 1821. The government was left under the charge of José de San Martín, with the title of "Protector". Later, the legislative branch occupied the executive branch. Francisco Xavier de Luna Pizarro, a Peruvian politician, presided and led the Constituent Congress of Peru of 1822, leading to him being subjectively regarded as the first informal President of Peru. The Congress immediately established a Supreme Governing Junta, led by José de la Mar.
In February 1823, the Congress was forced to recognize José de la Riva Agüero as the first "President of the Republic", following the Balconcillo mutiny. He was quickly replaced by José Bernardo de Tagle, who proclaimed the Constitution of 1823. Since then, that has been the main denomination that has held the great majority of the rulers of Peru. The first popular elections were not held until 1829, when Agustín Gamarra was elected constitutional president.
The first articles of the 1823 Constitution consisted of 24 items, known as the "Bases". These bases formally defined the borders of the Andean nation and formally created the First Republic of Peru, which still holds until the present day. The governing board, led by Luna Pizarro, declared Peruvian autonomy from Spain and a Catholic state. Additionally, the Constitution defined the three powers of the government, the executive, judicial and the legislative power. The governing board, a colloquial terminology that was used to classify the ten politicians that devised these 24 items, was the first representation of executive power and the executive branch in Peruvian history.
Only one constitution has been contrary, partially, to the presidential republican system. The 1826 "Lifetime" Constitution of Simón Bolívar, which proclaimed him "lifetime president". After issues arose around the bases, Bolivar was granted overwhelming power over the legislative and executive organs of the Peruvian government. At the same time, Bolivar was already undergoing a campaign to establish a dictatorship around Andean Latin American nations. As a precursor, this incentivized the initial drafters of the constitution and the Governing Board to accelerate the process of defining reasonable executive powers, balance the three branches of power, and begin to draft an idea for the roles and powers of the official position of state leader of Peru. By 1827, an outline of an executive along with the executive branch had been drawn out to prevent a Bolivarian dictatorship which would be seen by the populace as a general return to Spanish tyrannical rule. Congress then elected José de la Mar, who is also sometimes considered the first president.
Powers and duties
The acts of the President of the Republic that lack ministerial endorsement are null. It corresponds to the President of the Republic to preside over the Council of Ministers when it is convened or when he attends its sessions. The President of the Republic appoints and removes the President of the council. The President of the Republic on the proposal and with an agreement of the President of the council can appoint and remove other ministers. The ministers are individually responsible for their own acts and for the presidential acts they endorse. All ministers are jointly and severally liable for criminal acts or violations of the Constitution or the laws that the President of the Republic incurs or that are agreed upon in the council, even if they save their vote unless they resign immediately. The Constitution of 1993, a product of the Presidency of Alberto Fujimori (1990–2000), is the constitution that is currently in place.
1993 Constitution The President of the Republic, in addition to the Head of State, is the Head of the national Government. Its functions are explicit in the Constitution and the Organic Law of the Executive Power.
Comply and enforce the Constitution and treaties, laws and other legal provisions. Represent the State, inside and outside the Republic. Direct the general policy of the Government. Ensure the internal order and the external security of the Republic. Convene elections for President of the Republic and for representatives to Congress, as well as for mayors and aldermen and other officials indicated by law. Summon the Congress to an extraordinary legislature; and sign, in that case, the decree of convocation. Direct messages to the Congress at any time and obligatorily, in a personal form and in writing, upon the installation of the first annual ordinary legislature. The annual messages contain a detailed exposition of the situation of the Republic and the improvements and reforms that the President deems necessary and convenient for consideration by the Congress. The messages of the President of the Republic, except for the first one, are approved by the Council of Ministers. Exercise the power to regulate the laws without transgressing or denaturing them; and, within such limits, issue decrees and resolutions. Comply and enforce the judgments and resolutions of the jurisdictional bodies. Fulfill and enforce the resolutions of the National Elections Jury. Direct foreign policy and international relations; and celebrate and ratify treaties. Appoint ambassadors and plenipotentiary ministers, with the approval of the Council of Ministers, with the responsibility of reporting to the Congress. Receive foreign diplomatic agents and authorize the consuls to exercise their functions. Preside over the National Defense System; and organize, distribute and arrange the employment of the Armed Forces and the National Police.