Dina Boluarte

Dina Boluarte
Born	Dina Ercilia Boluarte Zegarra 31 5, 1962
Birthplace	Chalhuanca, Peru
Nationality	Peruvian
Occupation	Politician, lawyer, civil servant
Known for	First woman to serve as President of Peru
Education	University of San Martín de Porres (LLB)
Children	2

Dina Ercilia Boluarte Zegarra (born 31 May 1962) is a Peruvian politician, lawyer, and civil servant who served as the 64th President of Peru from 7 December 2022 until her removal from office on 10 October 2025. She made history as the first woman to hold the Peruvian presidency, ascending to the role following the impeachment and arrest of Pedro Castillo after his attempt to dissolve Congress. Previously, Boluarte had served as Castillo's First Vice President and as Minister of Development and Social Inclusion, and had spent over a decade as an officer at the National Registry of Identification and Civil Status (RENIEC). Originally a member of the Free Peru party, she distanced herself from its Marxist–Leninist ideology and was ultimately expelled from the party in January 2022. Her presidency was marked by deadly protest crackdowns, chronic unpopularity that reached a historic low of 2% approval by March 2025, a bribery scandal known as "Rolexgate," and a deepening security crisis. On 10 October 2025, the Peruvian Congress voted unanimously—122 to 0—to impeach and remove her on grounds of "permanent moral incapacity," making her the latest in a succession of Peruvian presidents to be ousted from office before the end of their term.

Early Life

Dina Ercilia Boluarte Zegarra was born on 31 May 1962 in Chalhuanca, a small city in the Apurímac Region of the Peruvian Andes. Chalhuanca is the capital of Aymaraes Province, a predominantly rural area in Peru's southern highlands. Details about Boluarte's parents and family background during her early years remain limited in public records.

Boluarte pursued a career in law and public administration. Before entering politics, she worked for over a decade as a civil servant at the National Registry of Identification and Civil Status (RENIEC), where she served as an officer from 2007 until 2022. Her tenure at RENIEC, the institution responsible for managing Peru's national identification system, provided her with extensive experience in government bureaucracy and public administration.

Education

Boluarte studied law at the University of San Martín de Porres, a private university in Lima, where she obtained her law degree (Licenciatura en Derecho, or LLB). Her legal training later informed her career in both the civil service and political arena.

Career

Early Political Career and Free Peru

Boluarte entered party politics when she joined Free Peru (Perú Libre), a left-wing political party founded by Vladimir Cerrón that espouses a Marxist–Leninist ideology. She became a member of the party in 2017. However, Boluarte never fully embraced the party's Marxist–Leninist ideology, a stance that would later contribute to her expulsion from the party.

In the 2018 regional and municipal elections, Boluarte participated as a candidate affiliated with Free Peru. She also participated in the 2020 extraordinary congressional elections as a candidate, though she was not elected to Congress.

2021 General Elections

In April 2021, Boluarte was announced as Pedro Castillo's running mate for the 2021 Peruvian general elections, serving as the candidate for first vice president on the Free Peru ticket. During the campaign, Boluarte stated that her team's goal was to "change the economic structure of the country."

The June 2021 presidential run-off election between Castillo and Keiko Fujimori was one of the most closely contested in Peruvian history. The final count was extremely tight, with Castillo narrowly winning the presidency. Following the official certification of results by Peru's National Office of Electoral Processes (ONPE), Castillo was declared the winner.

Vice Presidency and Ministry of Development

Upon Castillo's inauguration on 28 July 2021, Boluarte assumed office as the First Vice President of Peru, succeeding Martín Vizcarra in the vice-presidential role. The following day, on 29 July 2021, she was also sworn in as Minister of Development and Social Inclusion (MIDIS). In this dual capacity, she oversaw Peru's social programs aimed at poverty reduction and social inclusion while serving as the constitutional successor to the president.

Her relationship with Free Peru deteriorated during this period. In January 2022, the party expelled Boluarte after she publicly stated that she had never embraced the party's ideological platform. Following her expulsion, Boluarte continued to serve as vice president and minister as an independent. She described herself as a "progressive and moderate leftist," though observers would later characterize her political positions differently.

Boluarte served as Minister of Development and Social Inclusion until 26 November 2022, continuing as First Vice President thereafter. During this period, she also faced constitutional complaints in the Congress, but the Sub-Commission on Constitutional Accusations archived a complaint against her.

Presidency (2022–2025)

Assumption of Office

On 7 December 2022, President Pedro Castillo announced his intention to dissolve Congress and install an emergency government—a move widely described as an attempted autogolpe (self-coup). The Peruvian Congress responded swiftly, voting to impeach and remove Castillo, who was subsequently arrested. Hours later, Boluarte was sworn in as President of Peru by Congress, becoming the first woman to hold the office.

Her ascension represented a constitutional succession rather than an electoral mandate, as she had not been directly elected to the presidency. She aligned herself with the right-wing majority of the Peruvian Congress and received support from the Peruvian Armed Forces, a notable political shift from the left-leaning platform on which she had been elected as vice president.

Protests and Crackdowns

Boluarte's early months in office were defined by widespread protests that erupted across Peru, particularly in the country's southern highlands. Demonstrators demanded her resignation, the dissolution of Congress, new elections, and the release of Pedro Castillo. The government's response to the protests drew significant condemnation both domestically and internationally.

During the unrest, security forces perpetrated what became known as the Ayacucho massacre and the Juliaca massacre, in which dozens of civilians were killed. Analysts stated that Boluarte's crackdown on protesters undermined democracy in Peru. Despite international concerns regarding the use of lethal force against demonstrators, Boluarte praised the actions of the armed forces and the police.

On 10 January 2023, Attorney General Patricia Benavides announced the opening of an investigation to determine whether Boluarte and members of her government had committed genocide and aggravated homicide in connection with the protest deaths. Boluarte characterized these investigations as lawfare—the weaponization of the legal system for political purposes. Benavides was later dismissed from her position.

Political Orientation and Governance

Despite describing herself as a "progressive and moderate leftist," observers and political analysts labeled Boluarte's administration as conservative, opportunistic, and illiberal. Her alignment with the right-wing congressional majority and her government's heavy-handed response to social unrest stood in contrast to the left-wing platform on which she had been elected as part of the Castillo ticket.

Rolexgate Scandal

Boluarte became embroiled in a corruption scandal nicknamed "Rolexgate," involving allegations that she had received luxury watches and other gifts from businessmen and associates while in office. The scandal prompted calls for her impeachment, but Boluarte survived the initial impeachment proceedings. The affair further eroded public confidence in her administration and contributed to her plummeting approval ratings.

Record Unpopularity

Boluarte's approval ratings declined steadily throughout her presidency. By March 2025, her approval had reached a historic low of 2%, leading international media to label her "the world's least popular leader" and the "most unpopular leader in the world." The low approval reflected widespread public dissatisfaction with her handling of the protest crackdowns, the corruption allegations, and a deepening security crisis driven by rising crime across the country.

Impeachment and Removal

In October 2025, Peru was gripped by a severe security crisis. Crime rates had surged, and civil unrest against Boluarte's government intensified. On 10 October 2025, the Peruvian Congress voted to impeach and remove Boluarte from office on grounds of "permanent moral incapacity." The vote was unanimous at 122–0, reflecting the complete collapse of any political support for her presidency. She was succeeded by José Jerí, the president of Congress, who assumed the role of interim president.

The removal took place in the early hours of 10 October 2025. Boluarte became the latest in a long line of Peruvian presidents to be ousted from office before the completion of their term, a pattern that has defined the country's political instability in the 21st century.

Post-Presidency

Following her removal, Boluarte faced ongoing legal scrutiny. She was accused of corruption and of abandoning her office. On 15 October 2025, a judge denied a bid to block Boluarte from leaving Peru, though she continued to face legal proceedings.

Personal Life

Boluarte has two children. She has maintained a relatively private personal life throughout her political career. Born in the Andean region of Apurímac, she relocated to Lima to pursue her legal education and career in public service.

During her presidency, Boluarte's personal affairs became the subject of public scrutiny, particularly in connection with the "Rolexgate" scandal, which centered on allegations that she had received luxury watches and other items of value. The scandal attracted significant media attention and contributed to the erosion of her public standing.

Legacy

Boluarte's presidency occupies a complex place in Peruvian history. She holds the distinction of being the first woman to serve as President of Peru, a milestone that was largely overshadowed by the circumstances of her ascent to power and the turbulence that defined her tenure.

Her administration was characterized by the deadly crackdowns on protests in the southern highlands during late 2022 and early 2023, which resulted in significant civilian casualties and drew international condemnation. Analysts observed that these crackdowns undermined Peru's democratic institutions. The investigations opened by the Attorney General into allegations of genocide and aggravated homicide against her government represented an extraordinary legal challenge to a sitting president.

The Council on Foreign Relations noted that while Boluarte's impeachment ended her tenure, Peru's crisis "runs deeper" than any single presidency, pointing to systemic issues of institutional weakness, political fragmentation, and public disillusionment with the political class. Latinoamérica 21 placed Boluarte's removal within a broader regional pattern of presidential failures in Latin America, noting the difficulty of sustaining democratic governance amid deep social and political polarization.

Her record-low 2% approval rating at the time of her removal illustrated the depth of public rejection. The unanimous 122–0 congressional vote to remove her was without precedent in terms of the totality of its margin, reflecting a rare moment of political consensus in a deeply divided legislature.