José María Balcazar Zelada was appointed as the interim president of Peru on February 18, replacing José Jerí, who had served for four months. At 83 years old, and a member of the leftist party Perú Libre, Balcazar became the eighth president in a tumultuous decade for Peruvian politics. His selection has raised alarms about the ongoing instability in Peru's presidency, especially given Balcazar's controversial views on social issues, which have now come under renewed scrutiny.