President of Peru replaces six ministers after police raid his home

Peru's president, Dina Boluarte, replaced six ministers on Monday (2) after they abruptly resigned.

The ministerial musical chairs come amid a new political scandal involving the president and luxury watches, adding more volatility to the South American country's increasingly unstable politics.

The series of dismissals, including that of the interior minister, comes after an investigation launched into allegations of illicit enrichment by the president, who is being investigated over her Rolex watches.

Over the weekend, police and prosecutors went to the president's home and offices looking for evidence of the origins of at least three Rolex watches.

Boluarte denied any wrongdoing and insisted he bought the watches with his own money.

Interior Minister Victor Torres announced his decision to resign on Monday, which was followed by the resignations of the Ministers of Education and Women.

Everyone expressed support for Boluarte, with one of them classifying the police raid on the president's house as “unnecessary” and “excessive”.

“I leave in peace and with clean hands,” Torres told journalists, insisting that his resignation was due to “family and health issues”.

The other two ministers did not justify their resignations.

On Monday night, Boluarte announced three additional resignations from his cabinet, including the ministers of Production, Commerce and Agriculture.

She named six new ministers in total – replacing about a third of her 19-person cabinet in a single day.

Among the new appointments, Walter Ortiz, who previously led the Ministry of the Interior's organized crime unit, will now take on the role of minister, a key security official in charge of the national police.

The resignations come at a time when Prime Minister Boluarte, who took office last month, seeks to obtain support from Congress, as is customary, with the president's government fearful that the opposition-controlled Legislature may withhold its support. to the Prime Minister.

A former vice president, Boluarte ascended to the presidency in late 2022 as the sixth president in six years, following the dismissal and arrest of President Pedro Castillo on charges of rebellion and conspiracy.

Source: CNN Brasil

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