LIMA, Peru — Peruvian President Dina Boluarte is at the center of a storm of controversy — and it’s not just political, it’s personal, too.
Already battling record-low approval ratings — a staggering 93% disapproval, according to Datum Internacional — Boluarte now faces multiple legal investigations, from deadly protest crackdowns to luxury watch allegations. But lately, it’s not the Rolexes or riots dominating headlines — it’s her nose.
In mid-2023, Boluarte quietly underwent plastic surgery, a procedure that’s now raising constitutional questions. She says the operation was medically necessary, but critics argue she effectively vanished from office without informing Congress or formally delegating presidential duties, as required by law.
Adding to the uproar, her surgeon, Mario Cabani, recently went public with details, claiming it wasn’t purely medical. According to Cabani, Boluarte had rhinoplasty, lower eyelid work, fat grafts for smile lines, and a septoplasty — but only the last was medically justified. He also claimed she was sedated and unconscious, contradicting her legal team’s claim that she was awake and functional.
Boluarte’s camp has dismissed the revelations as a private matter, but her silence is doing little to quell the outrage.
Rolexgate and a Pattern of Presidential Downfall
This is hardly Boluarte’s first scandal. Earlier this year, police raided her home and office in the so-called “Rolexgate” probe, investigating allegations she accepted luxury watches and jewelry without proper disclosure. Her defense? The watches were “on loan” — a loan she says she should not have accepted.
While the swirl of accusations may sound shocking elsewhere, in Peru, presidential scandal is practically expected. Barbadillo Prison in Lima — nicknamed the “presidents’ prison” — has housed more former heads of state than political memoirs.
Since 2000, nearly every Peruvian president has faced prosecution or serious allegations, mostly involving corruption or abuse of power:
- Alejandro Toledo (2001–2006): Sentenced to over 20 years for taking bribes from construction giant Odebrecht.
- Alan García (2006–2011): Died by suicide in 2019 as he was about to be arrested in the same scandal.
- Ollanta Humala (2011–2016): Recently sentenced to 15 years for illicit campaign financing.
- Pedro Pablo Kuczynski (2016–2018): Resigned amid money laundering allegations; now under house arrest.
- Martín Vizcarra (2018–2020): Ousted for “moral incapacity” tied to bribery allegations during his governorship.
- Pedro Castillo (2021–2022): Removed and arrested after trying to dissolve Congress and rule by decree.
Boluarte, his vice president, took office in 2022, becoming Peru’s sixth leader in just seven years.
How Did It Get This Bad?
Many analysts trace Peru’s cycle of instability back to Alberto Fujimori’s rule in the 1990s. Once praised for fighting hyperinflation and insurgent violence, Fujimori’s darker legacy was his 1992 self-coup — he dissolved Congress, rewrote the constitution and entrenched authoritarian power.
According to legal scholars like Aníbal Quiroga and Luciano López, Fujimori’s dismantling of traditional parties left behind weak, fragmented politics. Peru’s 2026 election is expected to draw over 40 presidential candidates — many with little party structure.
“What Peru produces most after coffee is presidential candidates,” Quiroga joked.
A Power Imbalance
The 1993 constitution, drafted after Fujimori’s coup, expanded Congress’s power, often at the expense of the executive. This imbalance culminated in 2017 when Congress ousted Kuczynski. Since then, Peruvian presidents have struggled to govern without firm congressional backing — something few enjoy.
López warns that unless a president has a cooperative Congress, the system may spiral toward another crisis like Fujimori’s self-coup.
Justice or ‘Lawfare’?
Despite the scandals, some legal experts say Peru’s willingness to prosecute ex-presidents shows judicial independence. But Quiroga cautions that “lawfare” — using the courts to wage political battles — remains a risk.
Public trust, however, is worn thin. With Boluarte now facing scrutiny over everything from nose jobs to luxury watches, Peruvians are left asking: Is there any leader who can escape the so-called curse of the presidency?
For now, the answer appears to be no.
