‘ROLEX CASE’

Peruvian Police Raid President’s Palace in Search of Luxury Watches

Her wrists may be icy but her hands are clean, Peruvian President Dina Boluarte insists.

Peruvian police raided the government palace and personal residence of President Dina Boluarte in search of Rolexes and other luxury goods as part of a corruption probe against the embattled leader. The probe, known as the ‘Rolex case’ in Peruvian media, was prompted by a report by news outlet La Encerrona that concluded Boluarte owned at least 14 Rolexes, a sign of presumed corruption in a country beset by instability. Boluarte denied any wrongdoing, claiming that though her wrists may be icy, her hands were clean, and the watches were just the result of hard work. “I came to the presidential palace with my hands clean and I will leave with my hands clean as I have promised the Peruvian people,” she said before the raid took place. On Sunday morning, her lawyer told Peruvian media that armed police had carried out their searches “without incident” and said they had taken photos of 10 watches—though it was unclear if any of them were Rolexes. Boluarte is set to testify before the prosecutor next month.