“Rolexgate” continues to haunt Peru’s president Dina Boluarte who has dismissed an investigation into her use of luxury watches as a “smoke screen.” Last week, 20 officials from the public prosecutor’s office and 20 police raided Boluarte’s house on Friday night, and the palace on Saturday morning. The charges were potential self-enrichment and the failure to declare ownership of the watches.
According to Reuters, the Peruvian president on Friday faced closed-door questioning by prosecutors,which lasted nearly five hours, amid allegations of illicit enrichment linked to her use of at least three Rolex watches and designer jewellery that appeared inconsistent with her modest monthly presidential salary of about £3,320 ($4,200).
In a televised address to the nation, Boluarte said she had told prosecutors that the watches had been a loan from Wilfredo Oscorima, the governor of Ayacucho, a region in Peru’s southern Andes, whom she described as a “friend” and a “brother”. She added that not declaring the watches had been a “mistake” but she added that Oscorima had insisted she wear them as they would project a good image of the country.
A major relief for the president came on Wednesday when the Congress granted her a crucial vote of confidence with lawmakers voted 70 in favour, 38 against and 17 abstaining.
Sworn in in December 2022, Boluarte is the first woman president of Peru. She came in after former president Pedro Castillo was impeached. However, corruption continues to haunt her. An Ipsos poll held last month showed that 80% of Peruvians and that she had a 9% approval rating and there was a danger of her going to jail. According to local media reports presidential corruption is so much in the country that there is a special jail cell made to hold ex-presidents.
Problems still continue to haunt Boluarte. She is accused of ordering the killings of 49 people by security forces in 2023. These people were protesters who were demanding the return of the former president.
