A Peruvian judge has rejected a request to bar former President Dina Boluarte from leaving the country, despite ongoing criminal investigations into alleged corruption and abuse of power. The ruling comes just days after Congress abruptly removed her from office, deepening the country’s long-running political crisis.
Accusations, Controversy, and Political Fatigue
Judge Fernando Valdez ruled that Boluarte does not represent a flight risk, calling the prosecutor’s request “unfounded.” Prosecutors had sought to restrict her travel while they investigate claims that she received money from a criminal network and appointed health officials connected to her rhinoplasty surgery in 2023.
Boluarte has denied any wrongdoing. The former leader is also accused of abandoning her post for two weeks during that surgery without notifying Congress, as well as facing separate inquiries into the source of her luxury Rolex collection.
Her administration was marked by widespread unrest and accusations of heavy-handed tactics during protests supporting her predecessor shortly after she took office. Boluarte left power last week with approval ratings hovering between 2% and 4%, among the lowest for any global leader.
The night she was ousted, crowds gathered outside Ecuador’s embassy in Lima amid speculation she might seek asylum. For now, however, she remains in Peru and under investigation.
The country continues to struggle with political instability. In the past seven years, Peru has seen seven presidents come and go. Three former leaders are currently behind bars, and more than half of Congress members are themselves under investigation by prosecutors.