International

Dina Boluarte’s former party presents a motion for dismissal against her

The Peruvian Marxist party Perú Libre presented this Saturday a motion of vacancy (dismissal) against President Dina Boluarte, a former member of the organization, after the raiding of her home and the Government Palace as part of a fiscal investigation for an alleged crime of illicit enrichment.

Congresswoman Margot Palacios announced on social network X that the bench presented the dismissal document to the senior officer of the Congress of the Republic and that they have obtained the signatures of 26 parliamentarians of the 130 that make up the chamber.

“We have just presented the motion of vacancy against Dina Boluarte, for permanent moral incapacity due to the issue of Rolex and jeweler, in exercise of the parliamentary function of political control,” Palacios said.

Most of the congressmen are from that party and others from the left, such as Democratic Change – Together for Peru, Roberto Sánchez Palomino, and the Magisterial Block – of Free Peru -, Pasión Dávila.

Raúl Doroteo, from the right-wing Partido Acción Popular, also signed.

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He adds that “the serious case” of luxury watches and jewelry that Boluarte has allegedly not declared before the National Election Jury (JNE) supposes “the violation of the ethical and moral principles of someone who holds the highest judiciary in the country” and that his conduct “violates fundamental ethical principles such as probity and transparency.”

And that, to date, neither the president nor the Government “have clarified the origin of up to three Rolex watches that the press has been able to capture in the arm of the president in different official activities.”

“As can be seen, the behavior of Mrs. Dina E. Boluarte Zegarra is a very serious event, and reason enough to declare his vacancy. Consequently, they constitute an infringement of articles 38, 102 and 118, paragraph 1, of the Political Constitution of Peru,” the motion states.

At midnight on Friday, a fiscal and police team entered the home of Boluarte and the Government Palace as part of an investigation opened on March 18 against the president for the alleged commission of the crime of illicit enrichment, not having declared such luxury watches.

At a press conference, Dina Boluarte, described this Saturday as arbitrary, abusive and disproportionate the raid that the Prosecutor’s Office made on her house and the Government Palace as part of an investigation for corruption, which she said she will only speak in the Prosecutor’s Office, and blamed the media for making a campaign of harassment against her.

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“It has never existed as has been said, neither refusal nor rebellion on my part against the tax investigation, on the contrary, I have come to this instance by making myself available, so the measure of the morning is arbitrary, disproportionate and abusive,” Boluarte said in a statement without questions.

Accompanied by the cabinet of ministers, the president said that she is “respectful of the fiscal investigation,” but that she rejects the way in which it is done, “in a discriminatory and unconstitutional way.”

In this sense, he criticized the fact that they broke the lock of his house, in the Lima district of Surquillo, since his family did not have time to open the door and said that this measure affects the rights of his family and also the governance of the country.

“Since when does a sector of the press worry about what the president uses or does not use? I want to believe that it is not because of a sexist issue or discrimination,” he said before adding that he has been taken “directly to the preliminary investigation when former presidents were subject to prior proceedings.”

About the origin of the luxury watches that he has worn on several public occasions and that so far has not explained its origin, he reiterated that, on the recommendation of his defense, he will not refer to the case in public until he goes to the Prosecutor’s Office.

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“On the recommendation of my lawyer, I am not going to testify on the subject of watches until I testify before the Prosecutor’s Office to clarify the facts,” he said.

International

Spain’s irregular migrant population rises to 840,000, study finds

The number of migrants living in Spain without legal residency status continues to rise and has reached 840,000 people, with 91% originating from the Americas, particularly Colombia, Peru and Honduras, according to a report by the Spanish think tank Funcas (Foundation of the Savings Banks).

An estimated 17.2% of the non-EU foreign population living in Spain is in an irregular administrative situation. The estimate is based on the gap between the number of foreign residents effectively living in Spain, according to the National Statistics Institute (INE), and those who hold a residence permit, benefit from international protection, or are in the process of obtaining it.

The data, as of January 1, 2025, point to a notable and sustained increase in irregular migration since 2017, when the estimated figure stood at around 107,000 people, representing 4.2% of the non-EU population residing in Spain.

By origin, migrants from the American continent stand out, totaling around 760,000 people, or 91% of all irregular migrants. Colombians account for nearly 290,000, followed by Peruvians with almost 110,000, and Hondurans with about 90,000. Migrants from Africa (50,000), Asia (15,000) and Europe (14,000) trail far behind.

The figures predate Spain’s latest immigration regulation reform, which came into force in May 2025 and introduces measures to ease access to legal status through residency ties. According to Funcas, the reform would, in principle, tend to reduce the number of migrants in an irregular situation.

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International

Historic snowstorm paralyzes Toronto after 60 centimeters of snow

Toronto, Canada’s largest city and the fourth most populous in North America, was largely paralyzed on Monday after a historic snowstorm dumped up to 60 centimeters of snow and sent temperatures plunging to -15 degrees Celsius, authorities said.

Late Sunday, as the scale of the snowfall became clear, city officials declared a climate emergency, triggering extraordinary measures including parking bans on several major streets to facilitate snow removal operations.

Toronto’s public transit authority reported that while some buses remain immobilized, subway and streetcar services are operating with relative normality, though localized disruptions may occur.

A similar situation is affecting the city’s commuter rail network, which remains operational but is experiencing significant delays on its main routes due to the severe weather conditions.

International

Venezuela frees at least 80 political prisoners, NGO says

At least 80 political prisoners were released on Sunday across Venezuela, human rights group Foro Penal reported, as the broader process of detainee releases continues at a slow pace under the interim government.

Foro Penal’s director, Alfredo Romero, wrote on social media platform X that verified releases took place nationwide and that the figure could rise as more confirmations are completed.

Attorney Gonzalo Himiob, also from Foro Penal, said the excarcelations occurred during the early hours of the day and emphasized that the number is not yet final pending further verification.

The releases are part of a series of steps announced by Venezuela’s interim leader, Delcy Rodríguez, who took power after the capture of former President Nicolás Maduro in a U.S. military operation on Jan. 3, 2026. Rodríguez has pledged a significant number of liberations but has been criticized by opposition groups and rights organizations for the slow and nontransparent nature of the process.

So far, the Venezuelan government reports that 626 detainees have been freed since December, though independent counts by human rights groups suggest the number of actual political prisoner releases is lower and that many remain behind bars.

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Families of those still detained have maintained vigils outside prisons, hopeful for further releases even as broader concerns about political imprisonment and due process persist.