Late Friday, televised images from Peru showed government agents from an investigative team breaking into President Dina Boluarte’s residence with a heavy hammer in a raid authorized by the judiciary at the request of the Attorney General's office. President Boluarte is under preliminary investigation for possessing a collection of undisclosed luxury watches since she came to power in 2021 as vice president and Minister of Social Inclusion, and later as president in 2022.
Initially, she claimed ownership of at least one Rolex watch as an old possession acquired through "personal gains" since she was 18 years old, urging the media not to delve into personal matters. Earlier in the week, Attorney General Juan Filena criticized Boluarte's request for a two-week delay in her court appearance, emphasizing her commitment to cooperating with the investigation. According to a police document obtained by AFP, around 40 personnel participated in the raid searching for Rolex watches that Boluarte had not declared. The police stated that the raid was "for the purpose of searching and seizing."
Political turmoil is not new in Peru, which has seen six presidents in the past five years, but many believe Boluarte's recent statements contradict her earlier commitment to speak candidly with prosecutors, exacerbating the political crisis stemming from her unexplainable ownership of Rolex watches. The Attorney General emphasized Boluarte’s obligation to promptly present three Rolex watches for investigation, warning against their disposal or destruction.
Boluarte, a 61-year-old lawyer, rose from a modest regional official to vice president during Pedro Castillo's presidency in 2021, then assumed the presidency in 2022 after Castillo was ousted following his attempt to dissolve Congress and govern by decree. At least 49 people have died in the protests that followed. Critics accuse Boluarte's government of taking an increasingly authoritarian approach while avoiding demands for early elections and working with congressional members on laws that threaten to undermine the independence of the judicial system in Peru.
