The Peruvian Public Ministry announced in a statement that it had started a preliminary investigation against the president, Dina Boluarte, for “alleged crimes of omission of functional acts” or abandonment of office.
The prosecutor’s office cites as reasons for the investigation the failure to communicate to Congress the temporary impediment from holding office between June 29 and July 9, 2023, as a result of a surgical procedure.
A CNN contacted the office of the Presidency of the Republic, which assured that it will collaborate with all the MP’s investigations.
The office also stated that all documentation relating to the period included in the preliminary investigation is in order, as there was no omission or abandonment of position by .
This week, the former president of the Council of Ministers, Alberto Otárola, declared to the Congressional Supervisory Commission that he did not remember the date on which the government official performed the surgery.
“I communicated with the president the next day after the operation, it was clear from her voice that she had obviously had her nose operated on, we continued fluent communication. She returned to face-to-face ministerial councils after a week and a half,” he said.
Otárola added that the medical break was not long, and that the recovery time was relatively quick.
In response, the current president of the Council of Ministers, Gustavo Adrianzén, assured in a press conference that the president never abandoned command of the country.
Adrianzén attributed the accusations to alleged attempts to destabilize the country and the Executive branch.
Boluarte is already facing another constitutional complaint related to the matter, presented by deputy Ruth Luque, for violating articles 114 and 115 of the constitution, highlighting that it does not accredit “the effective exercise of the presidential function between June 29 and July 9, 2023”.
In the document presented to Parliament, Luque indicated that the president underwent surgery and “would be away from her duties for 12 days”.
