The first lady or gentleman of Peru (Spanish: primera dama o primer caballero del Perú) is the title held by the spouse or designated female family member of the president of Peru. The role usually fulfills functions of social work and accompanying the president. There have been a number of first ladies that have been foreign to Peru.
History The first pioneer of political leadership in Peru was María Delgado de Odría, wife of President Manuel A. Odría, who developed extensive social work throughout the country aimed at those who needed it most.
In September 1919, Julia Swayne y Mariátegui, wife of Augusto B. Leguía (who had assumed the presidency in July of that year), died in London, unable to accompany her husband during the eleven years that he ruled.
In 1956, President Manuel Prado Ugarteche asked the Roman Rota to annul his marriage to Enriqueta Garland Higginson, who had already been first lady, which led a group of Catholic society ladies to go out dressed in mourning through the streets of Lima. The president remarried the socialite Clorinda Málaga Bravo in 1958, and until then the position was assumed by his daughter, Rosa Prado Garland de Parks.
In 1963, Fernando Belaúnde Terry assumed the presidency of the Republic, but the position of first lady was assumed by his sister Lucila Belaúnde de Cruchaga and by her daughter Carolina Belaúnde on some occasions, since the president was divorced from Carola Aubry. However, in 1966, on the occasion of the visit of Charles de Gaulle, the position was assumed by Carmen Jaime Torres, wife of the president of the Senate, Ramiro Prialé, interpreting the Congress that since the president of the Executive lacked a wife, the position should be assumed. by the wife of the President of the Legislative Assembly.
One first lady who dedicated a lot of effort to welfare work was Violeta Correa, the second wife of Belaúnde Terry, who developed a series of actions with well-known Peruvian women, being also the creator of the so-called "family kitchens."
Pilar Nores, Alan García's wife, created in the eighties the Foundation for the Children of Peru, an institution dedicated to children in need and that would later be presided over by future first ladies. Susana Higuchi, Alberto Fujimori's wife, took over this foundation until her separation from her husband. After that, her daughter Keiko Fujimori took office at the age of 19, becoming the youngest first lady in the world.
Eliane Karp, wife of President Alejandro Toledo, served as First Lady and president of the previously mentioned Foundation for the Children of Peru. In 2002 the Office of the First Lady was created, from which she would support charitable causes. This office was dissolved by the government of Alan García in August 2006. After Nores and García's divorce was made public, his daughters, Carla and Josefina, became the ones who accompanied him to official events.
Corruption scandals Much like their husbands, a number of first ladies of Peru have been implicated with charges of corruption under their spouse's administration.
Eliane Karp de Toledo Eliane Karp, the wife of President Alejandro Toledo, has been accused of money laundering. She testified under Congress in 2013.
Nadine Heredia de Humala Nadine Heredia, the wife of president Ollanta Humala was accused of multiple crimes, and was arrested one year following Humala's administration and sent to testify under oath.
List No.PortraitNameTenurePresident1N/AMaría Ana Micaela de Echevarría y Santiago de Ulloa 17 July 1823–17 February 1824José Bernardo de Tagle2Francisca Zubiaga y Bernales September 1, 1829–December 20, 1833Agustín Gamarra3N/AMaría Josefa Martínez de Pinillos y Cacho April 24, 1834–February 23, 1835Luis José de Orbegoso4N/AJuana Pérez Palza de Infantas 25 February 1835–7 February 1836Felipe Santiago Salaverry5N/AAndrea Grados Donayre October 20, 1842–March 15, 1843Juan Francisco de Vidal6Francisca Diez-Canseco y Corbacho April 20, 1845–April 20, 1851Ramón Castilla7N/AVictoria Tristán de Echenique April 20, 1851–January 5, 1855José Rufino Echenique8N/AJosefa Oviedo y Mollinedo October 24, 1862–April 3, 1863Miguel de San Román9Francisca Diez-Canseco y Corbacho April 3, 1863–April 9, 1863Ramón Castilla10N/AJuana de Tirado y Coronel-Zegarra August 5, 1863–November 8, 1865Juan Antonio Pezet11N/AMaría Magdalena Ugarteche Gutiérrez de Cossío November 28, 1865–January 7, 1868Mariano Ignacio Prado12N/AFrancisca Javiera Vargas Maldonado January 7, 1868–August 2, 1868Pedro Diez Canseco13N/AMaría Paz y Graj 2 August 1868–22 July 1872José Balta14N/AManuela Sanz de Santo Domingo July 27, 1872–August 2, 1872Mariano Herencia Zevallos15N/AMariana Barreda y Osma August 2, 1872–August 2, 1876Manuel Pardo y Lavalle16N/AMaría Magdalena Ugarteche Gutiérrez de Cossío August 2, 1876–December 23, 1879Mariano Ignacio Prado17N/AManuela Molina December 18, 1879–December 23, 1879Luis La Puerta18N/AJesusa de Itúrbide Y Villena December 23, 1879–November 28, 1881Nicolás de Piérola19Carmen Rey y Basadre March 12, 1881–September 28, 1881Francisco García Calderón20N/ARosa Elías de la Quintana September 28, 1881–November 6, 1881Lizardo Montero Flores21Antonia Moreno Leyva June 3, 1886–August 10, 1890Andrés Avelino Cáceres22Justa Masías y Llosa August 10, 1890–April 1, 1894Remigio Morales Bermúdez23N/AJesús Salas de la Torre Urraca 1 April 1894–10 August 1894Justiniano Borgoño24Antonia Moreno Leyva August 10, 1894–March 20, 1895Andrés Avelino Cáceres25N/ATeresa Álvarez-Calderón Roldán de Candamo March 20, 1895–September 8, 1895Manuel Candamo26N/ACarmen Heeren Barreda August 18, 1915–July 4, 1919José Pardo y Barreda27N/AMaría Isabel Olivera Mayo de Leguía July 4, 1919–December 8, 1930Augusto B. Leguía28N/AFrancisca Benavides Diez Canseco de Benavides April 30, 1933–December 8, 1939Óscar R. Benavides29Enriqueta Garland de Prado December 8, 1939–July 28, 1945Manuel Prado Ugarteche30N/AMaría Jesús Rivera y Rivera de Bustamante July 28, 1945–October 29, 1948José Luis Bustamante y Rivero31María Delgado de Odría October 29, 1948–July 28, 1956Manuel Odría Amoretti32N/ARosa Prado Garland July 28, 1956–June 9, 1958Manuel Prado UgartecheClorinda Málaga de Prado June 9, 1958–July 18, 1962Manuel Prado Ugarteche33N/AEloisa Dolores Ferreyros Roldán de Godoy July 18, 1962–March 3, 1963Ricardo Pérez Godoy34N/AMaría Álvarez del Villar de Lindley March 3, 1963–July 28, 1963Nicolás Lindley López35N/ACarola Aubry Bravo de Belaúnde July 28, 1963–October 3, 1968Fernando Belaúnde Terry36Consuelo Gonzales Posada de Velasco October 3, 1968–August 29, 1975Juan Velasco Alvarado37N/ARosa Pedraglio de Morales Bermúdez August 29, 1975–July 28, 1980Francisco Morales Bermúdez38N/AVioleta Correa de Belaúnde July 28, 1980–July 28, 1985Fernando Belaúnde Terry39Pilar Nores de GarcíaJuly 28, 1985–July 28, 1990Alan Garcia40Susana Higuchi de Fujimori July 28, 1990–August 23, 1994Alberto FujimoriKeiko Fujimori Higuchi August 23, 1994–November 22, 2000Alberto Fujimori41N/ANilda Jara de Paniagua November 22, 2000–July 28, 2001Valentin Paniagua42Eliane Karp de ToledoJuly 28, 2001–July 28, 2006Alejandro Toledo43Pilar Nores de GarcíaJuly 28, 2006–July 28, 2011Alan Garcia44Nadine Heredia de Humala July 28, 2011–July 28, 2016Ollanta Humala45Nancy Lange KuczynskiJuly 28, 2016–March 23, 2018Pedro Pablo Kuczynski46Maribel Diaz de VizcarraMarch 23, 2018–November 10, 2020Martin Vizcarra47N/AMary Peña de MerinoNovember 10, 2020–November 15, 2020Manuel Merino48Lilia Paredes de CastilloJuly 28, 2021–December 7, 2022Pedro Castillo49 N/ABlanca Quiroz de Balcázar18 February 2026–28 July 2026José María Balcázar
See also Presidents of Peru
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