Peruvian Congress Rejects 3 Requests to Impeach Dina Boluarte

On Friday, the Peruvian congress controlled by a conservative majority did not admit three impeachment motions presented against President Dina Boluarte.

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The first impeachment motion was promoted by Together for Peru and Democratic Change, which maintain that Boluarte did not behave appropriately and transparently for not having responded to Congress for a 12-day absence.

The second impeachment motion was presented by Freee Peru, which accused President Boluarte of getting involved in the criminal proceedings involving her brother Nicanor.

The third impeachment motion was promoted by the benches of Free Peru, Democratic Change, Together for Peru, the Magisterial Block, Bicentennial Peru, and some independent legislators. They maintain that Boluarte interfered in the investigations carried out by anti-corruption prosecutors and a special team of the National Police.

"We fulfill the will of the Peruvian people who give the president an 8 percent approval rating. This public indignation stems from the president's frivolity, as she has been absent without permission and without informing the public to undergo surgery, and has dissolved a special professional police team with the intention of covering up," stated legislator Susel Paredes.

In mid-2023, Boluarte was absent from her position for 12 days to undergo cosmetic surgeries, which, according to the impeachment request, constitutes grounds for "moral incapacity" and "abandonment of office." However, this only reflects part of the reasons why she has lost popular support.

Files at the Prosecutor's Office

Boluarte's rise to office in December 2022 was marked by massive protests in several regions, which lasted for several months and led to direct confrontations with law enforcement, resulting in the deaths of 49 people.

These events have led to a prosecutorial investigation of Boluarte and her then interior ministers for the crimes of genocide, aggravated homicide, and abuse of authority.

The Peruvian president is also under investigation for passive bribery and illicit enrichment, due to the Rolex watch scandal.

She wore these watches at various official ceremonies and, when confronted by a journalistic investigation, claimed they were a loan from her friend, the governor of Ayacucho, Wilfredo Oscorima, who received a transfer of 100 million soles.

The text reads, "This is the testimony of Anderson Lapa Rojas, a 28-years-old survivor of military violence in Ayacucho during the protests against Boluarte. He narrates the consequences that two gunshots left him with, changing his life forever. He was part of the group of victims of the protests who spent the night in front of the Justice Palace at the beginning of May."

Her brother

The local press has continued to focus on Boluarte's inner circle, especially after discovering her brother Nicanor attempting to form a political party supposedly with the support of prefects and subnational authorities.

Nicanor Boluarte was arrested along with the president's lawyer, Mateo Castañeda, after being implicated in a prosecutorial investigation for allegedly being part of a network dedicated to influence peddling.

This case also led to another prosecutorial investigation against the Peruvian president, this time for alleged personal cover-up and abuse of authority, after she dissolved a special police team hours before they were to participate in the capture of her brother.

The economy remains stagnant

Boluarte committed to restoring economic growth after a negative result of 0.55 percent in 2023 due to social protests and natural disasters. However, her results remain elusive, with an increase in poverty to 29 percent and a production decline of 0.28 percent in March.

Amid this persistent crisis, Parliament seems to have lent a hand to her administration to inject cash into the market, after approving a seventh partial withdrawal of private pension funds and the free disposition of 100 percent of the Compensation for Time of Services, an amount reserved by workers for periods of unemployment.

Insecurity on the rise

Currently, the main concern of Peruvians is citizen insecurity, which remains without an apparent solution, despite the states of emergency declared in the most affected areas.

On Thursday, Boluarte swore in her sixth Interior Minister during her term, following the resignation of Walter Ortiz, who was involved in the deactivation of the special police team that carried out the arrest of Nicanor Boluarte.