José María Balcázar, who assumed the interim presidency of Peru on February 18, received a remuneration of more than 50 thousand soles in the month of March, according to data from the Transparency Portal.
The recent disclosure of the remuneration received by the interim president José María Balcázarwhich exceeded S/50 thousand in March 2026 according to the portal Transparencygenerated a wave of questions and debate in public opinion.
In response to this situation, the Presidency of the Republic of Peru issued an official statement in which it seeks to specify the origin of said amount, as well as clarify the legal and administrative criteria that support the economic compensation of the head of state.
The document released by the Presidential Officedated April 27, 2026addresses the citizens directly regarding the circulation of information about presidential remuneration. In its introduction, the institution states:
“Given the information disseminated about the remuneration corresponding to the President of the Republic, José María Balcázar, the Presidential Office complies with informing the citizens of the following”thus marking the beginning of a detailed explanation on the topic.
One of the central points of the statement emphasizes that the amount does not respond to a personal decision or a recent increase. In literal words:
“The remuneration of the President of the Republic does not constitute an increase nor does it respond to a personal decision of the president. It corresponds, strictly, to the application of the current legal framework established in Law No. 30057, Civil Service Law, as well as the regulations approved by the competent entities of the State.”
The statement also details that the presidential position has financial compensation established since the previous year. As required:
“In that sense, since July 2025, the presidential position corresponds to a monthly economic compensation of S/ 35,568, an amount set on the basis of technical, administrative and budgetary criteria established by law.”
One of the most relevant aspects of the statement is the explanation of the amount that exceeded the S/50 thousand in March, a figure that gave rise to the controversy. The document clarifies that this total includes payments accumulated since the date the president assumed office.
In that sense, it is indicated: “Likewise, it should be noted that President José María Balcázar assumed duties as of February 18, 2026; therefore, from that date, he is entitled to the proportional amount for the days he held office in said month, which amounts to the sum of S/ 15,412.80, being integrated into the March 2026 pay slip.”
The statement also adds that the calculation includes the corresponding legal deductions: “In addition, the discounts applicable by law, corresponding to the remuneration concepts of February and March.”
Another important axis of the institutional message is the reaffirmation of control over public resources. At this point, the Presidency emphasizes that the payments made to the head of State are under the supervision of the competent organizations:
“The Presidential Office reaffirms that all payments made to the President of the Republic are subject to administrative, tax and budgetary control, with total transparency and within the current regulatory framework.”
