| Post: | First Gentleman |
| Body: | Peru |
| Native Name: | Spanish; Castilian: Primer caballero de Perú |
| Insignia: | Flag of Peru (state).svg |
| Insigniasize: | 100px |
| Residence: | Palacio de Gobierno |
| Incumbent: | David Gómez Villasante |
| Style: | His Excellency (Diplomatic, outside Peru) |
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.
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 Josefa 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 Americas and 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.
Much like their husbands, a number of first ladies of Peru have been implicated with charges of corruption under their spouse's administration.
Karp has been accused of money laundering. She testified under Congress in 2013.
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.[1]
| No. | Portrait | Name | Tenure | President |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | N/A | María Ana Micaela de Echevarría y Santiago de Ulloa | 17 July 1823 – 17 February 1824 | José Bernardo de Tagle |
| 2 | Francisca Zubiaga y Bernales | September 1, 1829 – December 20, 1833 | Agustín Gamarra | |
| 3 | N/A | María Josefa Martínez de Pinillos y Cacho | April 24, 1834 – February 23, 1835 | Luis José de Orbegoso |
| 4 | N/A | Juana Pérez Palza de Infantas | 25 February 1835 – 7 February 1836 | Felipe Santiago Salaverry |
| 5 | N/A | Andrea Grados Donayre | October 20, 1842 – March 15, 1843 | Juan Francisco de Vidal |
| 6 | Francisca Diez-Canseco y Corbacho | April 20, 1845 – April 20, 1851 | Ramón Castilla | |
| 7 | N/A | Victoria Tristán de Echenique | April 20, 1851 – January 5, 1855 | José Rufino Echenique |
| 8 | N/A | Josefa Oviedo y Mollinedo | October 24, 1862 – April 3, 1863 | Miguel de San Román |
| 9 | Francisca Diez-Canseco y Corbacho | April 3, 1863 – April 9, 1863 | Ramón Castilla | |
| 10 | N/A | Juana de Tirado y Coronel-Zegarra | August 5, 1863 – November 8, 1865 | Juan Antonio Pezet |
| 11 | N/A | María Magdalena Ugarteche Gutiérrez de Cossío | November 28, 1865 – January 7, 1868 | Mariano Ignacio Prado |
| 12 | N/A | Francisca Javiera Vargas Maldonado | January 7, 1868 – August 2, 1868 | Pedro Diez Canseco |
| 13 | N/A | María Paz y Graj | 2 August 1868 – 22 July 1872 | José Balta |
| 14 | N/A | Manuela Sanz de Santo Domingo | July 27, 1872 – August 2, 1872 | Mariano Herencia Zevallos |
| 15 | N/A | Mariana Barreda y Osma | August 2, 1872 – August 2, 1876 | Manuel Pardo y Lavalle |
| 16 | N/A | María Magdalena Ugarteche Gutiérrez de Cossío | August 2, 1876 – December 23, 1879 | Mariano Ignacio Prado |
| 17 | N/A | Manuela Molina | December 18, 1879 – December 23, 1879 | Luis La Puerta |
| 18 | N/A | Jesusa de Itúrbide Y Villena | December 23, 1879 – November 28, 1881 | Nicolás de Piérola |
| 19 | Carmen Rey y Basadre | March 12, 1881 – September 28, 1881 | Francisco García Calderón | |
| 20 | N/A | Rosa Elías de la Quintana | September 28, 1881 – November 6, 1881 | Lizardo Montero Flores |
| 21 | Antonia Moreno Leyva | June 3, 1886 – August 10, 1890 | Andrés Avelino Cáceres | |
| 22 | Justa Masías y Llosa | August 10, 1890 – April 1, 1894 | Remigio Morales Bermúdez | |
| 23 | N/A | Jesús Salas de la Torre Urraca | 1 April 1894 – 10 August 1894 | Justiniano Borgoño |
| 24 | Antonia Moreno Leyva | August 10, 1894 – March 20, 1895 | Andrés Avelino Cáceres | |
| 25 | N/A | Teresa Álvarez-Calderón Roldán de Candamo | March 20, 1895 – September 8, 1895 | Manuel Candamo |
| 26 | N/A | Carmen Heeren Barreda | August 18, 1915 – July 4, 1919 | José Pardo y Barreda |
| 27 | N/A | María Isabel Olivera Mayo de Leguía | July 4, 1919 – December 8, 1930 | Augusto B. Leguía |
| 28 | N/A | Francisca Benavides Diez Canseco de Benavides | April 30, 1933 – December 8, 1939 | Óscar R. Benavides |
| 29 | Enriqueta Garland de Prado | December 8, 1939 – July 28, 1945 | Manuel Prado Ugarteche | |
| 30 | N/A | María Jesús Rivera y Rivera de Bustamante | July 28, 1945 – October 29, 1948 | José Luis Bustamante y Rivero |
| 31 | María Delgado de Odría | October 29, 1948 – July 28, 1956 | Manuel Odría Amoretti | |
| 32 | N/A | Rosa Prado Garland | July 28, 1956 – June 9, 1958 | Manuel Prado Ugarteche |
| Clorinda Málaga de Prado | June 9, 1958 – July 18, 1962 | Manuel Prado Ugarteche | ||
| 33 | N/A | Eloisa Dolores Ferreyros Roldán de Godoy | July 18, 1962 – March 3, 1963 | Ricardo Pérez Godoy |
| 34 | N/A | María Álvarez del Villar de Lindley | March 3, 1963 – July 28, 1963 | Nicolás Lindley López |
| 35 | N/A | Carola Aubry Bravo de Belaúnde | July 28, 1963 – October 3, 1968 | Fernando Belaúnde Terry |
| 36 | Consuelo Gonzales Posada de Velasco | October 3, 1968 – August 29, 1975 | Juan Velasco Alvarado | |
| 37 | N/A | Rosa Pedraglio de Morales Bermúdez | August 29, 1975 – July 28, 1980 | Francisco Morales Bermúdez |
| 38 | N/A | Violeta Correa de Belaúnde | July 28, 1980 – July 28, 1985 | Fernando Belaúnde Terry |
| 39 | Pilar Nores de García | July 28, 1985 – July 28, 1990 | Alan Garcia | |
| 40 | Susana Higuchi de Fujimori | July 28, 1990 – August 23, 1994 | Alberto Fujimori | |
| Keiko Fujimori Higuchi | August 23, 1994 – November 22, 2000 | Alberto Fujimori | ||
| 41 | N/A | Nilda Jara de Paniagua | November 22, 2000 – July 28, 2001 | Valentin Paniagua |
| 42 | Eliane Karp de Toledo | July 28, 2001 – July 28, 2006 | Alejandro Toledo | |
| 43 | Pilar Nores de García | July 28, 2006 – July 28, 2011 | Alan Garcia | |
| 44 | Nadine Heredia de Humala | July 28, 2011 – July 28, 2016 | Ollanta Humala | |
| 45 | Nancy Lange Kuczynski | July 28, 2016 – March 23, 2018 | Pedro Pablo Kuczynski | |
| 46 | Maribel Diaz de Vizcarra | March 23, 2018 – November 10, 2020 | Martin Vizcarra | |
| 47 | N/A | Mary Peña de Merino | November 10, 2020 – November 15, 2020 | Manuel Merino |
| 48 | Lilia Paredes de Castillo | July 28, 2021 – December 7, 2022 | Pedro Castillo | |