Latest news with #Rolexgate
Malay Mail
3 days ago
- Business
- Malay Mail
Peru's president Dina Boluarte hits record low approval of 2pc amid scandals and protests
LIMA, June 1 — With an approval rating of just two per cent, Peru's President Dina Boluarte may be the world's most unpopular leader, according to pollsters. Protests greeted her rise to power 29 months ago, and have marked her entire term—joined by assorted scandals, investigations, controversies and a surge in gang violence. The 63-year-old is the target of a dozen probes, including for her alleged failure to declare gifts of luxury jewels and watches, a scandal inevitably dubbed 'Rolexgate.' She is also under the microscope for a two-week undeclared absence for nose surgery—which she insists was medical, not cosmetic—and is being investigated for her role in a police crackdown that caused the deaths of 50 protesters. Against that bleak backdrop, Boluarte's never-high popularity hit rock bottom this month. The Ipsos polling agency found she had a two-per cent approval rating, down from 21 per cent when she took office. 'We might be talking about a world record of sustained presidential disapproval,' Ipsos Peru president Alfredo Torres told AFP. It is the lowest score Ipsos has measured in any of the other 90 countries it surveys, Torres said. Yet as far as recent Peruvian presidents go, she is not just a survivor, but positively an elder stateswoman. The South American nation has had six presidents in eight years and if Boluarte lasts to the end of her term next year, she would be the longest-serving of them all. Weakness is strength Despite not having a party in Congress, she has managed to stay in power with the backing of Peru's majority right-wing parties. Analysts say voter lethargy and political expediency have so far helped Boluarte buck the 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 said, explaining that a lame-duck president is politically useful for Congress. '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. 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.' Boluarte has other factors counting in her favor. Congress is seemingly keeping her around for lack of a better, consensus, candidate. 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. '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 top producers of the metal. 'Terrible image' On the street, there is little love 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.' — AFP
Arab News
3 days ago
- Business
- Arab News
The world's most unpopular president? Peru's leader clings to power
LIMA: With an approval rating of just two percent, Peru's President Dina Boluarte may be the world's most unpopular leader, according to pollsters. Protests greeted her rise to power 29 months ago, and have marked her entire term — joined by assorted scandals, investigations, controversies and a surge in gang violence. The 63-year-old is the target of a dozen probes, including for her alleged failure to declare gifts of luxury jewels and watches, a scandal inevitably dubbed 'Rolexgate.' She is also under the microscope for a two-week undeclared absence for nose surgery — which she insists was medical, not cosmetic — and is being investigated for her role in a police crackdown that caused the deaths of 50 protesters. Against that bleak backdrop, Boluarte's never-high popularity hit rock bottom this month. The Ipsos polling agency found she had a two-percent approval rating, down 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. It is the lowest score Ipsos has measured in any of the other 90 countries it surveys, Torres said. Yet as far as recent Peruvian presidents go, she is not just a survivor, but positively an elder stateswoman. The South American nation has had six presidents in eight years and if Boluarte lasts to the end of her term next year, she would be the longest-serving of them all. Backed by corrupt majority rightwing parties Despite not having a party in Congress, she has managed to stay in power with the backing of Peru's majority right-wing parties. Analysts say voter lethargy and political expediency have so far helped Boluarte buck the 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 said, explaining that a lame-duck president is politically useful for Congress. '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. 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.' Boluarte has other factors counting in her favor. Congress is seemingly keeping her around for lack of a better, consensus, candidate. 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. '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 top producers of the metal. Little love for her from the street On the street, there is little love 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.'
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
The world's most unpopular president? Peru's leader clings to power
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." ljc/cm/vel/lbc/mlr/arb/bgs
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Peru's prime minister resigns ahead of no-confidence vote
The prime minister of Peru, Gustavo Adrianzén, has resigned hours before he was due to face a no-confidence vote in Congress. Members of Peru's Congress had called for the no-confidence vote after the recent kidnap and killing of 13 mine workers, which shocked the country. Adrianzén's resignation is another blow to the embattled president, Dina Boluarte, who has seen her approval ratings plummet as crime rates in the country have soared. The resignation of the prime minister - the third to serve under Boluarte - forces the president to replace her entire cabinet, adding to Peru's political upheaval. Under Peru's constitution, all ministers have to step down if the prime minister quits. While the president can rename the same people to the posts they resigned from, she can only do so once a new prime minister is in place. The collapse of the cabinet comes at an already rocky time in Peruvian politics. Shortly before Prime Minister Adrianzén announced his resignation, Boluarte had reshuffled her existing cabinet, announcing new ministers of finance, interior, and transport. All three will now have to step down, just hours after being sworn in by the president. The already low approval rating of President Boluarte - who was sworn in when the previous president, Pedro Castillo, was impeached - have fallen further as Peruvians grow increasingly impatient at what they say is her failure to tackle crime. In recent months, hundreds of people have taken to the streets in protest at the growing problem of extortion, as gangs increasingly demand payments even from the smallest businesses, including transport workers. Dressed in white, they demanded "an immediate answer to combat extortion and targeted killings". Peru imposes curfew after kidnap and murder of 13 mine workers Peru's president avoids impeachment over 'Rolexgate' scandal Peru kidnapping leaves 13 dead in gold mine
Yahoo
13-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Peruvian president avoids impeachment over 'Rolexgate' scandal
A congressional committee in Peru has dismissed an investigation into President Dina Boluarte over allegations she accepted Rolex watches as bribes. The decision by the subcommittee means Boluarte - whose approval ratings are in single digits - is shielded from impeachment proceedings while in power. However, she could potentially still face charges when she leaves office next year and loses her presidential immunity. The corruption inquiry, dubbed "Rolexgate", saw her home raided by police in March 2024, with authorities searching for more than a dozen luxury watches Boluarte had allegedly not declared. The investigation began after a news report drew attention to luxury watches she wore at public events. The raid took place after prosecutors refused her request for more time to respond to a subpoena requesting her to provide proof of purchase for her watches. The government palace was also raided. Peru's government last year described the raid as "disproportionate and unconstitutional". Boluarte had insisted she entered government "with clean hands" and that she would "leave it with clean hands", claiming her Rolex was an old item that she bought with the proceeds of working since she was 18. The president also faces a separate probe over an unannounced two-week absence in 2023 for a nose surgery during which she did not delegate powers. Boluarte became president after her predecessor, Pedro Castillo, was impeached when he tried to dissolve Congress and rule by decree. Dozens of people were killed in clashes following Castillo's ousting during violent protests demanding Boluarte step down. The next presidential and legislative elections will be held in April 2026.
