Lima: New Peruvian Prime Minister Gustavo Adrianzen on Wednesday sought a vote of confidence from Congress as the government avoided the country’s massive political scandal over the president’s luxury Rolex collection.
Adrianzen was appointed a month ago to form his third cabinet in 16 months after he was ousted over a separate scandal over alleged political support for his predecessor’s love affair.
Under the Constitution, Adrianzen must go before Congress to get the green light to continue in office.
But Wednesday’s confidence vote was a major test of support for the weakened government, which saw six ministers sacked after police raids on the home and office of President Dina Boluarte.
In a speech that lasted almost two hours, Adrianzen proposed a “transparent government against corruption and ineffectiveness”.
A four-hour debate followed before the vote of confidence. If rejected, Adrianzen would have to resign – deepening the political turmoil in Peru, which has seen six presidents in eight years.
The vote is under investigation by President Boluarte, 61, because of his alleged wealth and his failure to declare luxury watches, a scandal dubbed “Rolexgate” by the media.
Before the vote, Attorney General Juan Villena Boluarte announced an expanded investigation into “a $56,000 Cartier bracelet” and other jewelry worth more than $500,000.
He also faces a constitutional challenge over his crackdown on the protests, which have left more than 50 people dead.
Boluarte’s approval rating is close to 10 percent.
If he is indicted in the Rolex case, he cannot be tried until his term ends in July 2026 or he is constitutionally impeached.
Peru’s constitution gives Congress extraordinary powers to remove the president, with impeachment requiring only 87 votes from 130 members of parliament.
Impeachment votes can be held under vague “moral incompetence” rules that don’t require lawmakers to demonstrate wrongdoing.
“Congress will decide whether he will remain in the presidency or not,” said analyst Augusto Alvarez Rodrích of La Republica newspaper.
Left-leaning lawmakers have tabled three proposals to impeach Boluarte — the latest of which was launched Monday but has yet to advance to debate.
But Alvarez said impeachment is unlikely because Congress will avoid calling early elections.
“The main forces in Congress want to keep the status quo as long as possible,” said Carlos Melendez, a political scientist at the University of Diego Portales in Chile.
But Boluarte said he would be “strong” if, by the end of his term, “no one wants to be a popular ally of the president when the 2026 elections are held.”
