Judge denies bid to block former President Dina Boluarte from leaving Peru
Key Takeaways
- A Peruvian judge denied the State Prosecutor's request to prevent former President Dina Boluarte from leaving the country.
- Boluarte was recently removed from office and faces investigations for alleged abuse of office and money laundering.
- The judge argued that Boluarte does not constitute a flight risk, calling the request unfounded.
- Accusations against Boluarte include collecting money from a criminal group and failing to notify Congress during a surgery.
- Boluarte left office with extremely low approval ratings amid significant public unrest in Peru.
A judge in Peru has struck down a request from the State Prosecutorâs Office seeking to prevent former President Dina Boluarte from leaving the country while she is under investigation for serious allegations. Boluarte was recently ousted from the presidency with near-zero approval ratings following widespread unrest over insecurity and rising crime. Judge Fernando Valdez ruled that Boluarte did not present a flight risk, deeming the request "unfounded" during a hearing. The investigations against her include accusations of collecting money from a criminal group and abandoning her office for two weeks in July 2023 without notifying Congress or appointing a caretaker president during a surgery. Further scrutiny surrounds the origins of her luxury Rolex watch collection and allegations of excessive force used against protests supporting her predecessor, Pedro Castillo. The denial comes as Peru continues to experience severe political turmoil, having seen seven presidents in as many years.
