List of presidents of Peru facts for kids

This article shares a list of all the people who have been the President of Peru. The President is like the main leader of the country, both the head of state and the head of government. This important job started after Peru became independent. It was created by the Constituent Congress in 1822, after José de San Martín stepped down from his role as Protector of Peru.

The very first president was José de la Riva Agüero. Today, the president is José María Balcázar. Throughout Peru's history, the presidency has seen many changes. Sometimes leaders took power by force, there were periods of instability, and some presidents even died while in office. This list is put together using historical records and official documents.

You'll also find the names of important leaders like San Martín and Simón Bolívar here. Even though they weren't officially presidents, they played a huge part in Peru becoming an independent nation.

Leaders of Peru

This section lists the presidents and other important leaders of Peru. You'll see their names, when they were in office, and which political party they belonged to.

Political Parties Explained

Here are the different political parties mentioned in the list, grouped by their general political ideas:

Far-right:       Revolutionary Union (Unión Revolucionaria, UR)       Odriist National Union (Unión Nacional Odriista, UNO)

Right wing:       Civilista Party (Partido Civil, PC)       Fujimorism (Cambio 90/ Let's Go Neighbor)       Constitutional Party (Partido Constitucional)       Reformist Democratic Party (Partido Democrático Reformista)       Peruvian Democratic Movement (Movimiento Democrático Peruano, MDP)       National Democratic Front (Frente Democrático Nacional)

Centre-right:       Peruvians for Change (Peruanos Por el Kambio, PPK)       We Are Peru (Partido Democrático Somos Perú, PDSP)

Centrist:       Popular Action (Acción Popular, AP)       Possible Peru (Perú Posible, PP)       Purple Party (Partido Morado, PM)

Centre-left:       Democratic Party (Partido Demócrata, PD)       Peruvian Aprista Party (Partido Aprista Peruano, APRA)

Left wing:       Peruvian Nationalist Party (Partido Nacionalista Peruano, PNP)

Far-left:       Free Peru (Perú Libre, PL)

Others:       Independent       Military

UR (2)       PC (9)       C90/VV (1)       PC (4)       PDR (1)       MDP (2)       PPK (1)       PDSP (1)       AP (4)       PP (1)      PM (1)       PD (2)       APRA (2)       FDN (1)       PNP (1)       PL (1)   PDSP (1)       Ind. (6)       Military (16)
No.	Portrait	President (Birth–Death)	Term of office		Time in office	Party		Election	Vice President
			Took office	Left office
Protector of Perú (1821–1822)
—		José de San Martín (1778–1850)	28 July 1821	20 September 1822	1 year, 54 days		Independent	—	None
Presidents of the Peruvian Republic (1822–1836)
—		José de La Mar (1776–1830)	21 September 1822	28 February 1823	160 days		Independent	—	None
1		José de la Riva Agüero (1783–1858)	28 February 1823	23 June 1823	115 days		Military	—	None
—		Francisco Valdivieso y Prada (1773-1829)	23 June 1823	17 July 1823	24 days		Independent	—	None
2		José Bernardo de Tagle (1779–1825)	17 July 1823	10 February 1824	178 days		Military	—	None
								1823	Diego de Aliaga y Santa Cruz
—		Simón Bolívar (1783–1830)	10 February 1824	27 January 1827	2 years, 351 days		Independent	—	None
—		Andrés de Santa Cruz (1792–1865)	28 January 1827	9 June 1827	132 days		Independent	—	None
3		José de La Mar (1776–1830)	9 June 1827	5 June 1829	1 year, 362 days		Military	1827	Manuel Salazar y Baquíjano
—		Antonio Gutiérrez de la Fuente (1796–1878)	6 June 1829	1 September 1829	87 days		Military	Took power by force	None
4		Agustín Gamarra (1785–1841)	7 June 1829	20 December 1833	4 years, 195 days		Military	—	Antonio Gutiérrez de la Fuente
								1829
5		Luis José de Orbegoso (1795–1847)	21 December 1833	25 February 1835	1 year, 66 days		Military	1833	None
—		Felipe Salaverry (1805–1836)	25 February 1835	7 February 1836	347 days		Military	Took power by force	None
Supreme Protector of the Peru–Bolivian Confederation (1836–1839)
—		Andrés de Santa Cruz (1792–1865)	7 February 1836	15 August 1839	3 years, 189 days		Independent	—	None
Presidents of the Peruvian Republic (1839–1980)
6		Agustín Gamarra (1785–1841)	15 August 1839	18 November 1841 (†)	2 years, 95 days		Military	Open Cabildo	Manuel Menéndez Justo Figuerola Juan Francisco de Vidal
								—
								1840
7		Manuel Menéndez (1793–1847)	18 November 1841	16 August 1842	271 days		Independent	—	Justo Figuerola Juan Francisco de Vidal
—		Juan Crisóstomo Torrico (1808–1875)	16 August 1842	20 October 1842	65 days		Military	Took power by force	None
8		Juan Francisco de Vidal (1800–1863)	20 October 1842	15 March 1843	146 days		Military	—	None
—		Justo Figuerola (1771–1854)	15 March 1843	27 March 1843	12 days		Independent	—	None
9		Manuel Ignacio de Vivanco (1806–1873)	27 March 1843	17 June 1844	1 year, 82 days		Military	Took power by force	None
—		Domingo Elías Carbajo (1805–1867)	17 June 1844	10 August 1844	146 days		Independent	—	None
—		Justo Figuerola (1771–1854)	10 August 1844	7 October 1844	146 days		Independent	—	None
10		Manuel Menéndez (1793–1847)	7 October 1844	20 April 1845	195 days		Independent	—	None
11		Ramón Castilla (1797–1867)	20 April 1845	20 April 1851	6 years		Military	1845	None
12		José Rufino Echenique (1808–1887)	20 April 1851	5 January 1855	3 years, 260 days		Military	1851	None
13		Ramón Castilla (1797–1867)	5 January 1855	24 October 1862	7 years, 292 days		Military	Took power by force	Juan Manuel del Mar
								1858
14		Miguel de San Román (1802–1863)	24 October 1862	3 April 1863 (†)	161 days		Military	1862	Juan Antonio Pezet Pedro Diez-Canseco
15		Juan Antonio Pezet (1809–1879)	5 August 1863	8 November 1865	2 years, 95 days		Military	—	Vacant Pedro Diez-Canseco
16		Mariano Ignacio Prado (1825–1901)	28 November 1865	7 January 1868	2 years, 40 days		Military	Took power by force	None
								1867
17		Pedro Diez Canseco Corbacho (1815–1893)	7 January 1868	2 August 1868	208 days		Military	—	None
18		José Balta (1814–1872)	2 August 1868	22 July 1872	3 years, 355 days		Military	1868	Mariano Herencia-Zevallos Francisco Diez-Canseco
—		Tomás Gutiérrez (1817–1872)	22 July 1872	26 July 1872	4 days		Military	Took power by force	None
19		Mariano Herencia Zevallos (1820–1873)	26 July 1872	2 August 1872	7 days		Civilista Party	—	Vacant Francisco Diez-Canseco
20		Manuel Pardo y Lavalle (1834–1878)	2 August 1872	2 August 1876	4 years		Civilista Party	1872	Manuel Costas Arce Francisco Garmendia
21		Mariano Ignacio Prado (1825–1901)	2 August 1876	18 December 1879	3 years, 138 days		Civilista Party	1876	Luis La Puerta José Canevaro
22		Luis La Puerta (1811–1896)	18 December 1879	23 December 1879	5 days		Military	—Decreto asumiendo la Presidencia, 18 de diciembre de 1879.</ref>	Vacant José Canevaro
23		Nicolás de Piérola (1839–1913)	23 December 1879	28 December 1881	2 years, 5 days		Independent	Open cabildo	None
24		Francisco García Calderón (1834–1905)	12 March 1881	6 November 1881	239 days		Independent	—	Lizardo Montero Andrés Avelino Cáceres
25		Lizardo Montero (1832–1905)	6 November 1881	28 October 1883	1 year, 356 days		Civilista Party	—	None
26		Miguel Iglesias (1830–1909)	30 December 1882	3 December 1885	2 years, 338 days		Military	—	None
—		Antonio Arenas (1808–1891)	3 December 1885	3 June 1886	182 days		Independent	—	None
27		Andrés Avelino Cáceres (1836–1923)	3 June 1886	10 August 1890	4 years, 68 days		Constitutional Party	1886	Remigio Morales Bermúdez Aurelio Denegri
28		Remigio Morales Bermúdez (1836–1894)	10 August 1890	1 April 1894 (†)	3 years, 234 days		Constitutional Party	1890	Pedro Alejandrino del Solar Justiniano Borgoño
29		Justiniano Borgoño (1836–1921)	1 April 1894	10 August 1894	131 days		Constitutional Party	—	None
30		Andrés Avelino Cáceres (1836–1923)	10 August 1894	20 March 1895	222 days		Constitutional Party	1894	César Canevaro Cesáreo Chacaltana
—		Manuel Candamo (1841–1904)	20 March 1895	8 September 1895	172 days		Independent	—	None
31		Nicolás de Piérola (1839–1913)	8 September 1895	8 September 1899	4 years		Democratic Party	1895	Guillermo Billinghurst Augusto Seminario
32		Eduardo López de Romaña (1847–1912)	8 September 1899	8 September 1903	4 years		Civilista Party	1899	Isaac Alzamora Federico Bresani
33		Manuel Candamo (1841–1904)	8 September 1903	7 May 1904 (†)	242 days		Civilista Party	1903	Vacant Serapio Calderón
34		Serapio Calderón (1843–1922)	7 May 1904	24 September 1904	140 days		Civilista Party	—	None
35		José Pardo y Barreda (1864–1947)	24 September 1904	24 September 1908	4 years		Civilista Party	1904	José Cavero Vacant
36		Augusto Leguía (1863–1932)	24 September 1908	24 September 1912	4 years		Civilista Party	1908	Eugenio Larrabure Belisario Sosa
37		Guillermo Billinghurst (1851–1915)	24 September 1912	4 February 1914	1 year, 133 days		Democratic Party	1912	Roberto Leguía Miguel Echenique
38		Óscar Benavides (1876–1945)	4 February 1914	18 August 1915	1 year, 195 days		Military	Took power by force	None
39		José Pardo y Barreda (1864–1947)	18 August 1915	4 July 1919	3 years, 320 days		Civilista Party	1915	Ricardo Bentín Sánchez Melitón Carvajal
40		Augusto Leguía (1863–1932)	4 July 1919	25 August 1930	11 years, 52 days		Reformist Democratic Party	Took power by force	César Canevaro Agustín de la Torre
								1919
								1924
								1929
—		Manuel María Ponce (1874–1966)	25 August 1930	27 August 1930	2 days		Military	—	None
—		Luis Miguel Sánchez Cerro (1889–1933)	27 August 1930	1 March 1931	186 days		Military	Took power by force	None
—		Ricardo Elías Arias (1874–1951)	1 March 1931	5 March 1931	4 days		Independent	—	None
—		Gustavo Jiménez Saldías (1886–1933)	5 March 1931	11 March 1931	6 days		Independent	—	None
—		David Samanez Ocampo (1866–1947)	11 March 1931	8 December 1931	272 days		Democratic Party	—	None
41		Luis Miguel Sánchez Cerro (1889–1933)	8 December 1931	30 April 1933 (†)	1 year, 143 days		Revolutionary Union	1931	None
42		Óscar Benavides (1876–1945)	30 April 1933	8 December 1939	6 years, 222 days		Military	—	Ernesto Montagne Markholz Antonio Rodríguez
43		Manuel Prado Ugarteche (1889–1967)	8 December 1939	28 July 1945	5 years, 232 days		Peruvian Democratic Movement	1939	Rafael Larco Herrera Carlos Gibson
44		José Luis Bustamante y Rivero (1894–1989)	28 July 1945	29 October 1948	3 years, 93 days		National Democratic Front	1945	José Gálvez Barrenechea Eduardo Ganoza
—		Manuel Odría (1896–1974)	29 October 1948	1 June 1950	1 year, 215 days		Military	Took power by force	Zenón Noriega None
—		Zenón Noriega (1889–1967)	1 June 1950	28 July 1950	57 days		Military	—	None
45		Manuel Odría (1896–1974)	28 July 1950	28 July 1956	6 years		Odriist National Union	1950	Héctor Boza Federico Bolognesi
46		Manuel Prado Ugarteche (1889–1967)	28 July 1956	18 July 1962	5 years, 355 days		Peruvian Democratic Movement	1956	Luis Gallo Porras Carlos Moreyra
47		Ricardo Pérez Godoy (1905–1982)	18 July 1962	3 March 1963	228 days		Military	Took power by force	Nicolás Lindley López None
48		Nicolás Lindley López (1908–1995)	3 March 1963	28 July 1963	147 days		Military	—	Pedro Vargas Prada None
49		Fernando Belaúnde Terry (1912–2002)	28 July 1963	3 October 1968	5 years, 67 days		Popular Action	1963	Edgardo Seoane Mario Polar Ugarteche
50		Juan Velasco Alvarado (1910–1977)	3 October 1968	29 August 1975	6 years, 330 days		Military	Took power by force	Edgardo Mercado Jarrín None
51		Francisco Morales Bermúdez (1921–2022)	30 August 1975	28 July 1980	4 years, 333 days		Military	Took power by force	Pedro Richter Prada None
Presidents of the Republic of Peru (1980–present)
52		Fernando Belaúnde (1912–2002)	28 July 1980	28 July 1985	5 years		Popular Action	1980	Fernando Schwalb Javier Alva Orlandini
53		Alan García (1949–2019)	28 July 1985	28 July 1990	5 years		Peruvian Aprista Party	1985	Luis Alberto Sánchez Luis Alva Castro
54		Alberto Fujimori (1938–2024)	28 July 1990	21 November 2000	10 years, 116 days		Change 90 (1990–1995) New Majority (1995–2000) Peru 2000 (2000)	1990	Máximo San Román Jaime Yoshiyama Ricardo Márquez Flores Francisco Tudela Carlos García y García César Paredes Canto
								President took special powers
								—
								1995
								2000
55		Valentín Paniagua (1936–2006)	22 November 2000	28 July 2001	248 days		Popular Action	—	None
56		Alejandro Toledo (born 1946)	28 July 2001	28 July 2006	5 years		Possible Peru	2001	Raúl Diez-Canseco David Waisman
57		Alan García (1949–2019)	28 July 2006	28 July 2011	5 years		Peruvian Aprista Party	2006	Luis Giampietri Lourdes Mendoza
58		Ollanta Humala (born 1962)	28 July 2011	28 July 2016	5 years		Peruvian Nationalist Party	2011	Marisol Espinoza Omar Chehade
59		Pedro Pablo Kuczynski (born 1938)	28 July 2016	23 March 2018	1 year, 238 days		Peruvians for Change	2016	Martín Vizcarra Mercedes Aráoz
60		Martín Vizcarra (born 1963)	23 March 2018	9 November 2020	2 years, 231 days		Independent	—	None Mercedes Aráoz
61		Manuel Merino (born 1961)	10 November 2020	15 November 2020	5 days		Popular Action	—	None
62		Francisco Sagasti (born 1944)	17 November 2020	28 July 2021	253 days		Purple Party	—	None
63		Pedro Castillo (born 1969)	28 July 2021	Attempted to take special powers	1 year, 132 days		Free Peru	2021	Dina Boluarte None
64		Dina Boluarte (born 1962)	7 December 2022	10 October 2025	2 years, 307 days		Independent	—	None
65		José Jerí (born 1986)	10 October 2025	17 February 2026	130 days		We Are Peru	—	None
66		José María Balcázar (born 1943)	18 February 2026	Incumbent	2 days		Free Peru	—	None

Timeline of Peruvian Leaders

Other Important Leaders

The people listed below were sworn in as presidents during times of political change, but they did not serve a full term:

President (Birth–Death)			Term of office		Title	How they became leader	Vice President
			Start	End
		Máximo San Román (born 1946)	21 April 1992	6 January 1993	Constitutional President of the Republic of Peru	Took over due to constitutional rules	Carlos García y García
		Mercedes Aráoz (born 1961)	30 September 2019	1 October 2019	Acting President	Took over due to constitutional rules	None

See also

In Spanish: Anexo:Presidentes del Perú para niños

• President of Peru
• Vice President of Peru
• Prime Minister of Peru
• Constitution of Peru
• Politics of Peru
• Viceroyalty of Peru
• List of viceroys of Peru
• List of Peruvian coups d'état