Peru President Dina Boluarte Under Pressure Amid ‘Rolexgate’ Scandal – Peru’s inaugural female president, Dina Boluarte, finds herself entangled in controversy regarding allegations of possessing a collection of Rolex watches and luxury jewelry, thrusting her into the heart of a corruption inquiry.
In response to a wave of resignations triggered by reports of her ownership of jewelry valued at £400,000 ($502,700), despite her monthly presidential salary of approximately $3,320, the unpopular leader underwent a significant cabinet reshuffle on Monday. The ongoing “Rolexgate” scandal continues to besiege Boluarte’s administration, with repercussions echoing days after law enforcement forcefully entered her Lima residence last Friday in pursuit of the watches.
This unprecedented event marks the first time in Peru’s history that police have breached the domicile of a sitting president. Following the commencement of an investigation last month, prosecutors authorized the raid subsequent to Boluarte’s claim of being too occupied to attend a hearing the previous week. She had omitted to disclose the provenance of three high-end brand watches, including one valued at £11,150, alongside other items such as a £43,000 Cartier bracelet.
In a televised statement on Saturday, Boluarte, flanked by ministers, asserted she was the target of a conspiracy and vehemently denied being “corrupt or a thief.” The scandal began when La Encerrona, a popular Peruvian news podcast, scrutinized 10,000 images from the presidential Flickr account, uncovering Boluarte’s concealed assortment of luxury watches and jewelry.
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Boluarte joins a list of Peruvian presidents accused of corruption, with the allegations further tarnishing the reputation of a leader already implicated in the deaths of nearly 50 individuals by security forces during extensive protests following the ousting of her predecessor, Pedro Castillo, in 2022. Upon assuming office, the former vice-president pledged to combat corruption and advocate for the rural underprivileged.
However, largely due to what Amnesty International termed “excessive and lethal use of force” against anti-government demonstrators, her approval rating struggles to reach double digits. Boluarte, who previously held a mid-level civil service position before serving as Castillo’s running mate, contended that the watches and accompanying jewelry were the result of a lifetime of labor.
However, these assertions were contradicted during the raid on her residence when law enforcement unearthed a warranty for one of the luxury watches dated July 2023. “This is not a surprise for Peruvians,” said Alvaro Henzler, president of Transparencia Perú, an anti-corruption NGO. “We don’t know if she is corrupt, or not. But we know she is not telling the truth.”
“Today, we are at the lowest point of approval for the president and congress in the last 30 years,” he said, which he called a sign of the “slow death of democracy”. In a poll conducted by Ipsos across 29 countries, only 14% of Peruvians expressed confidence in the direction their country is heading, with a staggering 86% indicating it is on the wrong path, marking the highest level of disapproval.
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On Monday, legislators from Boluarte’s former party initiated a petition to oust her from office on grounds of “permanent moral incapacity,” a constitutional provision that has been utilized to compel the resignation of one president and impeach two others in the last six years amid Peru’s enduring political turmoil. Analysts speculate that Boluarte’s alliance with right-wing political factions suggests she is likely to serve out her term until 2026 despite mounting pressure for her removal.
The balance of power is skewed, said Natalia Sobrevilla, a historian and political analyst. “Congress can get rid of the president at will, once they have the votes,” she said. “But they don’t want to impeach her because they don’t want to lose their posts.” Henzler said this latest scandal has implications that go beyond Boluarte’s political fortunes, increasing the risk that “in the next election, Peruvians elect a candidate who is more populist, more extremist and more authoritarian”.
