The Peruvian president, Dina Boluarte, defended herself this Friday (5) before the Public Ministry and said that the Rolex watches she wore actually belonged to a friend who lent them, in response to an inquiry into the alleged possession of watches and undeclared jewelry.

The investigation into the case known as “Rolexgate”, which is shaking his already fragile government, began at 8:30 am local time (10:30 am Brasília time) and ended after five and a half hours, when Boluarte left the Public Ministry headquarters without speaking to the press.

Hours later, the president made a statement in which she stated that the three Rolex watches for which she is being investigated are not hers, but were loaned by a close friend, regional governor and political ally.

“I must recognize that it was a mistake to borrow these watches from my friend Wilfredo Oscorima,” said Boluarte, who stated that he had already returned the watches to the owner.

“Everything that was said is false,” she emphasized in relation to the Cartier and Van Cleef jewelry, attributed to her by the Public Prosecutor’s Office. According to Boluarte, her jewelry is from the Unique brand.

– Under the eyes of Justice –

The Attorney General, Juan Carlos Villena, was in charge of “making statements to the President of the Republic”, as reported by the Public Ministry through the social network X.

Prosecutors asked Boluarte to present, if he had them, the valuables not declared as part of his assets when he took office and to show proof of purchase or explain their origin.

The investigation comes after police searched her home and presidential office on March 30 in search of the alleged collection, made up of at least three luxury Rolex watches, which the press attributes to her through several photographs published in recent years. days.

Small groups of supporters and detractors gathered around the perimeter of the Public Prosecutor’s Office as she gave testimony.

“Women united, they will never be defeated!”, “Dina resists, Dina is not alone”, were the slogans of around fifty protesters, most of them women, in support of the president.

But not all the shouting was friendly. “Dina, prison awaits you!”, cried out loudly another small group not far away.

“For her to tell the truth, where are the watches, we want them to arrest her,” a woman who asked to remain anonymous told AFP.

The government hopes that the case will be clarified with the version offered by Boluarte and thus end a scandal that has already provoked two requests for impeachment from the left-wing parliamentary opposition, both rejected on Thursday by the right-wing majority in Congress.

– Cartier bracelet under suspicion –

The Public Ministry asked for explanations about the origin of bank deposits of one million soles (around R$1.35 million) in her accounts during the period in which she served as minister between 2021 and 2022.

Also about “possession of a $56,000 Cartier bracelet [R$ 283 mil] and jewelry that she would have used in ceremonies worth more than US$500,000 [R$ 2,5 milhões]”, as Attorney General Villena announced.

Investigations into the “alleged crime of illicit enrichment and omission of declarations in documents” began on March 18, following a journalistic report by the digital outlet La Encerrona.

The information revealed that Boluarte has worn several Rolex watches in official activities since taking office as vice president of the government of former left-wing president Pedro Castillo and minister of Development and Social Inclusion in 2021.

With Boluarte, there are six presidents involved in corruption allegations since the beginning of the 21st century. Since 2016, Peru has had six presidents.

– ‘Clean hands’ –

“I entered the Government Palace with clean hands and I will leave with clean hands, as I promised the Peruvian people,” declared Boluarte, 61, last week.

The Public Ministry can investigate it for up to eight months. If he decides to accuse her, he will have to wait for the end of his term in July 2026 to take her to trial, as established by the Peruvian Constitution.

Boluarte, who has ruled out resigning, denounces a “systematic attack and harassment” with the aim of weakening his government.

If she resigns, the president of Congress will assume the presidency and must call general elections within six months.

Boluarte assumed the Presidency in December 2022, replacing the ousted Castillo.

The Public Ministry has been investigating her since 2023 for the alleged crimes of “genocide, qualified homicide and serious injuries”, for the death of more than 50 civilians “during social protests between December 2022 and January 2023” that called for her resignation and anticipation of elections.

The scandal broke when his popularity did not exceed 10% in the polls.