Peru’s Congress swiftly removed President Dina Boluarte. After consolidating four motions for her removal (vacancy) to declare her “permanent moral incapacity.” To address growing citizen insecurity and the rise of organized crime, with just six months left before the 2026 general elections.
The Peruvian legislature approved the four motions to remove Boluarte from power with 122 votes in favor out of a total of 130. A figure far exceeding the 87 votes required for the initiative to succeed. In a session where the president did not appear before the chamber to present her defense.
Her mandate of 2 years and 10 months ends
Peru’s first female president thus concluded a term of two years and ten months. Since she assumed the presidency in late 2022 to succeed leftist Pedro Castillo (2021-2022), of whom she was vice president. And remained in power thanks to the support of a group of right-wing forces that control Congress and who now promoted and backed her removal.
Following her removal, the presidency will be temporarily assumed by the president of Congress until new elections are held.
The most unpopular leader in Latin America
Though she took office in December 2022 as an unknown following the removal of Pedro Castillo for attempting a coup. Dina Boluarte ended up becoming the most unpopular head of state in Latin America. While Peruvians accused her of being incapable, frivolous, and even a “murderer.”
Boluarte, who was removed Thursday night by an overwhelming majority in Congress, had no party or parliamentary bloc of her own during her tenure. Though she remained in office for nearly three years backed by conservative groups, such as the Fujimorista party Fuerza Popular.
The party, led by Keiko Fujimori, daughter and political heir of former president Alberto Fujimori (1990-2000), ultimately joined the parliamentary voices that almost unanimously supported her removal (vacancy) for her alleged inability to confront the surge of organized crime in the country.
The attack that triggered her downfall
The final straw was the armed attack suffered Sunday night by one of the country’s most popular cumbia music groups during a concert at a Peruvian Army venue in Lima.
The attack, which left four members of the group Agua Marina and a vendor injured, spread like wildfire on social media and sparked public outrage over what was seen as the government’s inaction in addressing the rise in crime affecting all social sectors in the country.
A native of the Andean province of Apurímac, the 63-year-old lawyer became president after being elected as Castillo’s vice president, of whom she was a minister until shortly before he attempted a coup to avoid his removal.
Her political career until then had been limited to having been a candidate for mayor of Lima, where she resides. Her life had previously revolved around her family and her work as a civil registry official.
A president without a parliamentary bloc
Boluarte began her term on December 7, 2022, amid promises to strengthen democracy and the economy. But she quickly faced the reality of having no parliamentary bloc of her own and the rejection of a large sector of the population, particularly in the southern regions of the country.
As months passed, her poor image among Peruvians only worsened. To the point that in all recent opinion polls, she appeared as the most unpopular leader in Latin America, with only 3% approval, a figure within the margin of error of the surveys.
The survival of her government thus depended on conservative forces that rejected various proposals to remove her from office. Especially after the social protests that took place between December 2022 and March 2023 left around fifty people dead.
Up to six previous removal motions failed thanks to the support of parties like Alianza para el Progreso, led by regional governor César Acuña, and Fuerza Popular, led by Keiko Fujimori.
Numerous investigations against her
During her term, the Prosecutor’s Office opened multiple investigations into Boluarte, including for the violent repression of protests, which involved charges of homicide, genocide, and serious injuries, as well as for alleged illicit enrichment in the so-called ‘Rolexgate’ case, after she displayed expensive jewelry and undeclared luxury watches.
The former president is also under investigation for allegedly facilitating the escape of Vladimir Cerrón, leader of the Marxist party Perú Libre, in which she was a member until 2022 and whose presidential ticket she joined as Castillo’s vice-presidential candidate.
She is also being investigated for failing to properly notify Congress that she would be unable to perform her duties when she secretly underwent a series of cosmetic surgeries on her nose and face.
The Public Ministry is also looking into allegations that she met with then-Attorney General Patricia Benavides, later removed for allegedly leading a corrupt network within the Public Ministry, with the supposed aim of dismissing a complaint against her in exchange for keeping the police chief in place.
Investigations and accusations suspended
On August 19, the Constitutional Court (TC) ruled that investigations and any potential accusations against Boluarte should be suspended until the end of her term, which was set to conclude on July 28, 2026, as she enjoyed immunity due to her position.
With her removal for “permanent moral incapacity,” she joins other presidents who followed the same path since 2018, from Pedro Pablo Kuczynski (2016-2018) to Martín Vizcarra (2018-2020), and her predecessor Pedro Castillo (2021-2022). EFE
Image: DiarioNY
