Did Peru’s embattled president skip duties for a nose job?

Peru plunged into a fresh political crisis when it was revealed that the country’s 62-year-old president, Dina Boluarte, took about two weeks off to undergo nose surgery without delegating her responsibilities to Congress.

Boluarte reportedly disappeared from public view between June 28 and July 10, 2023, prompting an investigation by the congressional oversight commission.

It was during this time frame that Boluarte was suspected to have had the surgery at a clinic in Lima, the capital city of Peru.

The incident had been widely speculated on social media and in the local press during the summer but was officially confirmed only on December 3 – 17 months after the surgery.

“She told me she was going to get a rhinoplasty... a surgery on the nose, but for breathing problems,” former prime minister Alberto Otarola told lawmakers, adding that Boluarte continued to fulfil her duties virtually during her recovery.

“There was no absence of power at that time, because the surgical procedure had no major complications,” he said.

The revelation sparked a wave of criticism on social media, with many accusing Boluarte of negligence, and lawmakers calling for her removal from office.

“It would be cause for dismissal... because the president should have asked permission from Congress,” said lawmaker Juan Burgos, head of the oversight commission.

However, Vice President of Congress Patricia Juarez dismissed the uproar as “a storm in a glass of water”.

Boluarte, already deeply unpopular, has faced ongoing scandals and accusations of corruption.

Prosecutors allege she accepted bribes, including Rolex watches, and amassed a £400,000 jewellery collection despite earning a £40,000 presidential salary.

Her reputation has further been tarnished by allegations of incompetence, authoritarianism, and indifference to the country’s mounting crises, including violent crime and a faltering economy.

Adding to public outrage, Boluarte once made light of Peru’s food crisis by claiming she could prepare three-course meals for her family for just 10 Sols (£2.10).

“She clearly loves the pomp of the presidency, appearing in expensive dresses, with her fancy Rolex,” Arturo Maldonado, a political scientist at the Pontifical Catholic University of Peru, told The Telegraph.

“And then she comes out with this remark about cooking a three-course meal. It’s a slap in the face.”

Boluarte has also been blamed for the deaths of more than 50 protesters during a brutal crackdown on demonstrations in 2022, which called for her resignation and fresh elections.

Lacking a political party in Congress, the Peruvian president faces a disapproval rating nearing 95 percent, with her term set to end in July 2026.