The world's most unpopular president? Peru's leader clings to power

Yahoo

3 days ago

With an approval rating of just two percent, Peru's President Dina Boluarte may be one of the most unpopular politicians in the world. Yet, she has survived a string of scandals, protests and investigations.
Protests greeted Boluarte's rise to power 29 months ago, and have accompanied her throughout scandals over allegations of military repression, an alleged nose job and gifted jewels.
Yet analysts say voter lethargy and political expediency may well help Boluarte, 62, see out the remainder of her term to July next year -- bucking a trend of prematurely-ousted Peruvian leaders.
"In Peru there is a political paradox: Boluarte is the weakest president of the last decade," political analyst Augusto Alvarez of the University of the Pacific told AFP.
But her weakness is "also her strength," he explained -- particularly in Congress, which has the power to oust presidents.
"It is a great business to have a fragile president whom they (lawmakers) use" to entrench their own power and pass laws beneficial to allies and backers, said Alvarez.
Plagued by political instability, the South American country has had six presidents in eight years. If Boluarte lasts to the end, she would have been the longest-serving among them.
The conservative leader replaced leftist rural school teacher Pedro Castillo in December 2022 following his impeachment and imprisonment for trying to dissolve Congress.
Having served as Castillo's vice-president, Boluarte opted not to call fresh elections but take over herself.
Despite not having a party in Congress, she has managed to stay in power with the backing of Peru's majority right-wing parties.
- Rolexgate -
Boluarte is the target of a dozen investigations, including for the police crackdown that caused the death of 50 protesters after Castillo's ouster.
Others have looked at her alleged omission in declaring gifts of luxury jewels and watches in what has been dubbed "Rolexgate," and at her two-week, undeclared absence for nose surgery she insists was medical, not cosmetic.
This month, Boluarte's popularity hit rock bottom, according to the Ipsos polling agency -- down to two percent from 21 percent when she took office.
"We might be talking about a world record of sustained presidential disapproval," Ipsos Peru president Alfredo Torres told AFP.
Ipsos has not measured such a low score in any of the other 90 countries it surveys, he added.
But Boluarte does have factors counting in her favor.
Congress is seemingly keeping her around for lack of a better, consensus, candidate, and because her political feebleness means she cannot stop it passing tax and environmental laws that benefit lawmakers' political and business backers, critics say.
Transparency International's Peruvian chapter Proetica has cited Congress for "counter-reforms, setbacks in anti-corruption instruments... and shielding of members of Congress who are ethically questioned."
Another plus for Boluarte: Peru's economy has been performing well, with GDP growing 3.3 percent last year and 3.9 percent in the first quarter of 2025 -- a steep improvement from the 2020 recession blamed on Covid pandemic lockdowns.
Peru's inflation rate is one of the lowest in the region.
"Another reason Boluarte remains in power is that the economy continues to function, there is enormous resilience, and the population's income is growing," said Alvarez.
But this may have little to do with policy, observers say, and more with external factors such as rising copper prices. Peru is one of the lead producers of the metal.
- 'Terrible image' -
On the street, there is little love lost for Boluarte as Peru battles a surge in gang violence characterized by a wave of killings linked to extortion rackets.
Boluarte "has no empathy, she is an incapable president, she does not solve the security problem," Saturnino Conde, a 63-year-old teacher, told AFP.
At frequent marches against the president, the catchphrase: "Dina, Asesina!" (Dina, Murderer) has become a popular refrain.
But a full-out rebellion appears unlikely, say analysts.
Peruvians "feel it's not worth it: if she resigns or is dismissed, she would be replaced by a member of Congress, but Congress also has a terrible image," said Ipsos manager Torres.
In addition, "there is no other candidate that captivates, which is why people are not in a hurry to remove her from power."
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