The National Prosecutor’s Office opened a preliminary investigation against Dina Baluarte for allegedly leaving her post: these are the keys to the case | POLITICS

The National Prosecutor’s Office launched a preliminary investigation against the president In Bolwart for the rescheduled operation in 2023, without notifying her that she is temporarily unable to hold the position as a result. The investigation is conducted on the fact of official acts and, as an alternative, refusal of official duties.

Baluarte did not inform the Council of Ministers or the Congress of the Republic that she would be unable to perform her duties between June 29 and July 9, 2023. The Department of State, led by Delia Espinosa, is investigating through the Division of Illicit Enrichment and Constitutional Complaints.

Former Prime Minister Alberto Atarola confirmed that the president had undergone surgery last year, information that had been circulating for months but not made public by any member of the executive branch.

Atarola told the Congressional Oversight Committee: “He told me he was going to have surgery on his nose, but because of breathing problems.” At the same time, he denied that the head of state has been absent from government decisions “for a long time”.

“I can indeed testify that there was no power vacuum in the country, but all the relevant agendas were properly implemented,” said Atarola, who headed the PCM from December 2022 to March 2024. According to his version, she had constant contact. with Baluarte by phone and even participated virtually in the meeting of the Council of Ministers.

A former confidant of Baluarte assured that the head of state “recovered relatively quickly” and that after the intervention she contacted him and “was in the clear”.

The government tried to deny the case or minimize its possible consequences.

Testimony

There are no official events on the president’s public agenda from June 29 to July 9, 2023.

The former Minister of State, whose identity she asked to be kept secret, recalled in a conversation with El Comercio that on those dates she did not receive calls from Boluarte, calls to meetings in the palace and had fewer requests for information from the Presidency of the Republic.

According to him, the information he received at the time from Atarola was that the president was suffering from a “respiratory problem”.

His version coincides with the record of visiting the Palace of Government. This indicates that from June 29 to July 4, no minister was present. The next day, they went to a meeting of the Council of Ministers, which Bolluarte participated in virtually via the Webex platform, according to documents reviewed by this newspaper.

He appeared with an affected voice. He is believed to have had breathing problems. He entered for a while, not the whole council, without turning on the camera and with a compromised voice,” said the former minister.

Meanwhile, former Education Minister Magnet Marquez said on ATV’s “It’s Happening Now” that she remembers the president “made one or two specific speeches” at that virtual session of the Council of Ministers. “I remember probably hearing her (her voice) slurred,” he added.

Other sources reminded El Comercio that after several days of absence and an empty agenda, a rumor even spread in the corridors of the Government Palace that Boluarte had contracted Covid-19, which was later ruled out.

They reminded that on June 28, 2023, the day before the alleged operation, the head of state led a meeting of the Council of Ministers in the morning, and in the afternoon presented an award to a group of policemen.

Since the weekly “Hildebrandt en sus trece” revealed last May that the president underwent a rhinoplasty at a clinic in San Borja, the executive has opted for secrecy and opacity.

The president herself called the questions of the press “trendy” at a conference in the Palace last July.

“I would like to disappear even for a minute and not do my presidential work,” she said then. Then, at the request of the press, he smiled and noted: “I mean those biased questions that do not help and do not arouse interest in the population.”

After Atarola’s revelations, former Congress president Alejandro Soto (Alliance for Progress) confirmed to the RPP that there had been no reports of interference in Boluarte, even unofficially, during his administration.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Gustavo Adriansen responded that there were voices trying to “destabilize” the country and that the president “never abdicated her functions” even though she was not part of the executive branch when the events took place.

Adriansen called it “low” that the former prime minister referred to the incident. For his part, Interior Minister Juan José Santivanes called Atarola “disloyal.”

Reactions

Congressman Ernesto Bustamente (Fuerza Popular) noted that the Ministry of State is doing “its job”. “If you have any signs, you have to act according to the law, that’s your role,” he added in a dialogue with the press.

However, he added: “I don’t see any evidence that Boluarte has left his post.” In addition, he believes that promoting a possible presidential vacancy because of this case will only destabilize the situation in the country.

Meanwhile, America Gonza (Perú Libre) agreed that the case deserves to be investigated by the prosecutor’s office. He reminded that other investigations are already underway against the president.

“This is nothing new as they have opened a window for the State Department to investigate the President. (…) I don’t know how many investigations she has already conducted, but the truth must be known. (…) There is something to explore,” he said.

Last April, the Attorney General’s Office expanded the preliminary investigation against Boluarte for alleged illegal enrichment and failure to file a statement in connection with the Rolex case. It is also to investigate deposits of unknown origin that he received in 11 bank accounts totaling S1.1 million.

Then, last May, she filed a constitutional complaint against Boluarte as an alleged perpetrator of the crime of illegal passive bribery to the detriment of the state in connection with the Rolex case.

The State Department is also investigating the head of state on suspicion of money laundering and criminal organization for his involvement in the campaigns of Perú Libre, the party of fugitive Uladzimir Cerron.

Additionally, during the Patricia Benavidez administration, she filed a constitutional complaint alleging crimes such as aggravated murder and grievous bodily harm. This is related to deaths that occurred during anti-government protests recorded in December 2022 and January 2023.

The case involves Atarola and former Interior Ministers Victor Rojas and Vicente Romero for alleged aggravated murder; and Cesar Cervantes, also a former head of the interior, for serious injuries.

Additional information

Last Thursday, the Standing Committee of Congress gave the subcommittee on constitutional impeachment a 15-day deadline to investigate the Attorney General’s constitutional complaints against the president in connection with the deaths of people during anti-government protests and the Rolex case.

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