The government of the South American country of Peru has shaken up again. Six government officials, including Interior Minister Víctor Torres, have resigned following the alleged illegal enrichment of President Dina Boluarte. She is being investigated because of her luxury Rolex watch, Reuters writes.
The investigation began in mid-March, when a TV show pointed out that Boluarte was wearing a Rolex watch, which in Peru is worth up to $14,000 (over 300,000 crowns). At least two others were later mentioned on other TV shows, the AP reports.
Monday’s cabinet shakeup was triggered by a request by parliament lawmakers for the president to be removed from office for “permanent moral unfitness” three days after police kicked in the front door of her residence as part of an investigation, the agency said.
Police raided the president’s home and office over the weekend looking for evidence of the provenance of at least three Rolex watches. Boluarte has denied wrongdoing and insists she bought the watch with her own money, Reuters adds.
All the ministers who decided to leave the government expressed their support for Boluarte, with one of them calling the police raid on the president’s house “unnecessary” and “excessive”, the agency said.
“I am leaving in peace and with clean hands,” Reuters quoted Torres as saying, adding that the reason for his resignation was “family and health issues.” The other ministers did not give reasons for their resignations.
Boluarte then appointed all six new ministers – replacing roughly a third of her 19-member cabinet in a single day. Among the new appointees is Walter Ortiz, who until now headed the Interior Ministry’s department for fighting organized crime and will now take over as minister, the key security official in charge of the national police, the agency said.
The resignations come as Prime Minister Gustavo Adrianzén, who took office last month, struggles to win congressional support. The government is now worried that the opposition-controlled legislature might not support it, Reuters adds.
