MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Peru: Boluarte gets Congressional thumbs up amid Rolexgate scandal

“This issue of the watches will end tomorrow” when Boluarte (L) testifies, Prime Minister Adrianzén (R) hoped

Peru's Congress gave President Dina Boluarte and her new cabinet a vote of confidence by 70 votes in favor, 38 against, and 17 abstentions while the head of state is still under investigation for what has been dubbed “The Rolexgate,” a scandal consisting of her wearing undeclared pricy wristwatches which prosecutors believe to be proof of illicit enrichment.

A reshuffle earlier this week left Boluarte with her third cabinet in 16 months, this time around under Prime Minister Gustavo Adrianzén.

Despite the outcome, the parliamentary debate was highly critical of Boluarte's administration and the spiraling insecurity and police violence, particularly during the demonstrations following Boluarte's accession to power after the Dec. 7, 2022, impeachment of Pedro Castillo Terrones.

In the end, most leftwing legislators stood by Boluarte while center-line, right-wing, and ultra-conservative lawmakers claimed they were defending “the stability of the country” when giving their thumbs down.

“The question of confidence of Mr. Gustavo Adrianzén, president of the Council of Ministers, has been approved,” announced Congress Speaker Alejandro Soto who then reminded the plenary that two motions of vacancy (impeachment) against Boluarte for alleged “moral incapacity” had been put forward. Under the Peruvian Constitution, new cabinets must be submitted to a vote of confidence by Congress within 30 days of their appointment.

Since Boluarte was already Vice President when Castillo was dismissed for trying to shut down Congress and rule by decree, the Constitutional order of succession would render Soto head of state if the current one is removed. Should that happen, he would have eight months to call for fresh elections and hand over power. Soto said that the possible admission for debate of these motions would be considered during the next plenum.

The government had been weakened after “Rolexgate” triggered several resignations, forcing Boluarte and Adrianzén, who has been in office for less than a month, to build up a new cabinet.

Adrianzén thanked lawmakers for their support and asked Parliament to support the Government “in the process of economic reactivation and the fight for citizen security.”

He also said in a radio interview that the Office of the Attorney General would soon drop the Rolexgate investigation after Boluarte testifies this coming Friday.

”This issue of the watches will end tomorrow. Tomorrow the president (...) will know how to explain what happened, how things happened. I presume that after this explanation, the Public Prosecutor's Office will have no choice but to close this investigation,“ said Adrianzén, who also admitted to being concerned and surprised at the way the events have developed in the past few weeks.

Adrianzén also spoke of the ”unhappy coincidence” of an Economy Ministry money transfer to the Regional Government of Ayacucho followed by Governor Wilfredo Oscorima buying a Rolex watch the same day of Boluarte's birthday and before going to the Government Palace in Lima.