Peruvian President Dina Bolurate’s house and office have been raided in a luxury watch ownership case.
President of Peru Dina Boluarte condemned the raids in her house and workplace on Saturday, following searches conducted overnight by authorities as part of a corruption investigation focused on the Rolex watches she has been flaunting in public. According to the reports, about 40 officials were involved in the raid. The police said that the raid was conducted for a search and seizure.
The Overnight Raid
As Boluarte was accused of using luxury Rolex watches without providing proper sources, authorities initiated an investigation against her. About twenty police officers and members of the public prosecutor’s office broke into Boluarte’s house on Friday night, and they stormed the palace early on Saturday.
The raid, which was a joint operation between the police and the prosecutor’s office, was aired on a local channel. The visuals showed government officials surrounding the house while the officers blocked the oncoming traffic. The Supreme Court of Preparatory Investigation authorized the raid as requested by the public prosecutor. It was initiated after the prosecutor declined Boluarte’s request for more time to respond to the writ that demanded she publish the proof of her purchase.
The President Says She Has Clean Hands
Boluarte, whose support rating was already dropping and is currently at about 10%, was thrown into a new political crisis when it was discovered that she may have improperly benefited herself while in government. If she is charged in the matter, the constitution prohibits a trial from happening until after her term expires in July 2026 or until she is impeached.
Congress may try to remove her on the grounds of “moral incapacity,” but it would need the improbable collaboration of the left-wing opponents of Boluarte and the right-leaning parties that dominate the chamber. The government comptroller, who has declared that any anomalies will be looked for, will examine Boluarte’s asset declarations from the previous two years.
Boluarte condemned the raid by the officials, stating that the action taken early in the morning was arbitrary, disproportionate, and abusive. The president, who was at the presidential palace when her home was raided, later addressed the nation. She said that she took the office with clean hands and will retire from the presidency only in 2026. The presidency’s social media account posted that the raid was carried out normally and without any incident. They added that personnel from the palace provided all the facilities.
One of Boluarte’s lawyers said that the police found the watches in her office at the president’s palace. They also stated that they were not seized but noted and photographed.
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In response to inquiries about how she purchased such luxury watches while earning a public income, the former attorney said that her success sprang from her diligent work since turning eighteen.
While the controversies sprung up, the Prime Minister of Peru, Gustavo Adrianzen, also criticized the raid. He addressed the raids as disproportionate and unconstitutional actions and added that the uprising’s political noise was serious, affecting investments and the entire nation.
After Marxist leader Castillo attempted to dissolve Congress and rule by decree, which resulted in his swift removal and arrest, Boluarte became the first female president of Peru. Following violent demonstrations calling for Boluarte to step down and new elections to be held, a crackdown that claimed over 50 lives ensued. Prosecutors are looking into her claims that she was subjected to excessive and deadly force by security personnel.