TV footage from Friday night showed officers forcefully entering Dina Boluarte’s home in Lima, the capital of Peru. This action was taken after prosecutors launched an inquiry into allegations that the president possessed multiple Rolex watches. The purpose of the investigation is to determine if there are grounds for a formal investigation of the president. Boluarte has admitted to owning Rolex watches, which she claims were purchased with her own money earned over the years. She has urged the media to respect her privacy and not delve into personal matters. However, the attorney general, Juan Villena, has demanded that she promptly produce three Rolex watches as part of the probe and warned her against hiding or destroying them. He also criticized her request to delay her appearance before the court.
Peru has a history of political turmoil, with six presidents in the last five years. Boluarte, a 61-year-old lawyer, rose from a modest district official to become vice president under President Pedro Castillo in July 2021. She assumed the presidency in December 2022 after Castillo’s impeachment following his attempt to dissolve congress and rule by decree. The protests that followed resulted in the deaths of at least 49 people. Critics of Boluarte’s government accuse it of becoming increasingly authoritarian as it resists calls for early elections and collaborates with members of congress on legislation that threatens the independence of Peru’s judicial system.
