Hot Rolexes: police search the home of the president of the republic of Peru for luxury watches

At the stroke of midnight on Good Friday, a policeman with a hammer smashed the door of the house of President Dina Boluarte in the framework of the raid ordered by the prosecutor’s office and approved by the Supreme Judge, Juan Carlos Checkley, for pointing out that she blocked the action of justice for not attending the interrogations and answering about her high-end watches being part of an investigation for the alleged commission of the crime of illicit enrichment.

“It is unprecedented that they raid the residence of a president in office. In the case of former president Pedro Castillo, it was not to locate something that concerned the  president,” said historian and political analyst Joseph Dager, while adding that “the attitude of the Prosecutor’s Office is disproportionate because the president personifies the nation.”.

The crisis began when the digital media ‘La Encerrona’ published that President Dina Boluarte was wearing a high-end Rolex watch and that she had not declared it as part of her assets. As the days went by, it was revealed that she had three Rolex watches, a Cartier bracelet worth 58 thousand dollars, and jewelry worth 450 thousand euros, according to an investigation by the newspaper ‘La Republica’.

“It is regrettable that the crisis against Boluarte has been generated by the Rolexes and the presumption of illicit enrichment, but not by the almost 50 deaths during the protests. The government coalition and the parties in Congress are going to defend her to the end. Only an early election will end the crisis,” concluded Dager.

Leading political authorities in the government obviously expressed solidarity with the president of the republic and spoke of attacks by the politicized judiciary.

The political authorities even stated that the attack on the president of the republic would cause harm to the country because it would discourage foreign investment. Top political officials also went to the president’s palace to show their solidarity, but they were also accompanied by the presidential lawyers who are to handle the defense.

Convulsive stage

In statements to ABC, the former Prime Minister, Pedro Cateriano, highlighted that Boluarte’s conduct has caused the reaction of the prosecution: “It is legal, unprecedented, and tremendous from the point of view of democratic institutionality because the President personifies the nation.
“We are living the most convulsive stage of our republican history with numerous presidents and a very high rotation of ministers never seen before that has generated tremendous political instability,” said Cateriano while indicating that President Boluarte at the beginning of her government promised the advancement of general elections but did not honor her word.”

“We appreciate that the task of control and the fight against corruption are being carried out by the Prosecutor’s Office and the Judiciary. The parliament has taken unacceptable measures and covered up the criminal acts of congressmen who are still part of the parliament. And in response, the Congress has launched a campaign against the media and notorious journalists. The outcome of the crisis is of reserved prognosis,” concluded Cateriano.
Since 2016, no president in Peru has finished his five-year term, which has caused the economy to decline, increased migration of young people, and increased Peruvians’ disappointment with democracy, which has seen six presidents pass amid crises conjured by the impeachment of heads of state.