Nuria del Rocío Esparch Fernández (born 19 January 1969) is a Peruvian lawyer and politician who had served as the country's Defence Minister from November 2020 to July 2021.

[1] At the age of 14, Esparch was denied admission to a naval school, as "no room for women in the navy".

[3] She was appointed Deputy Minister of Administrative and Economic Affairs by President Alan García in 2006.

[1] Esparch was appointed defence minister by interim president Francisco Sagasti on 18 November 2020, the first woman to hold the position.

[3][8] Later that month, she reported that 10,000 members of the country's Armed Forces were being trained to deliver COVID-19 vaccines as soon as they become available.