Peruvian President Dina Boluarte recently underwent a Cabinet shakeup, replacing six ministers who resigned amidst a political crisis. The crisis was fueled by an alleged illicit enrichment scandal involving luxury watches. The request to remove Boluarte from office was submitted to Parliament by lawmakers from various parties, including Peru Libre, to which Boluarte once belonged. The move to remove her requires 87 votes from the 130-seat unicameral Parliament, with five parties expressing support for the president following a raid on her residence by police.
Lawmakers cited the ongoing investigation against Boluarte and countrywide issues, such as rising crime, as reasons for their request to remove her from office. Boluarte has denied the accusations of illicit enrichment. The investigation began after she was seen wearing a Rolex watch worth up to $14,000 on a TV show, with other reports mentioning additional luxury watches. Boluarte, a former lawyer, entered the government in July 2021 on a modest salary before assuming the presidency in December 2022. Despite the lower salary as president, she began displaying luxury watches without listing them in an asset declaration form.
The political crisis escalated further when armed police officers forcibly entered Boluarte’s home in search of the Rolex watches, marking the first such incident in Peru’s history. Boluarte’s residence was raided after reports of her possession of luxury watches emerged. Following the resignation of three Cabinet members, including the interior, education, and women’s ministers, Boluarte swore in six new ministers to fill the vacancies. Among the new appointees was Walter Ortiz, a retired police officer, as the interior minister, with other appointments in key ministerial positions. Despite the turmoil, Boluarte remains in power, with support from some parties in Parliament.
With ongoing investigations and a political crisis surrounding her presidency, Boluarte faces mounting pressure to address the allegations of illicit enrichment and restore public trust. The scandal involving luxury watches and the subsequent Cabinet shakeup have cast a shadow over her administration, with critics calling for accountability and transparency. Boluarte’s denial of the accusations and the ongoing support from some parties in Parliament indicate a divided political landscape in Peru. The outcome of the vote to remove her from office remains uncertain, as the country grapples with the fallout of the scandal and its impact on the government’s credibility.
