International
The clock scandal leaves the exit door of Boluarte open
A new political crisis is experiencing Peru, after the raid on the home of President Dina Boluarte and the Government Palace by a police and prosecutor’s team looking for the luxury watches not declared by the president.
The image of this team breaking the lock marked the day in which the president said she was the victim of an arbitrary and abusive procedure. These are the keys:
Boluarte was summoned by the Public Prosecutor’s Office on Tuesday and Wednesday of last week to show the famous watches and testify, respectively, but the president did not attend any of these calls.
Local media reported that the Boluarte defense had asked to reschedule the appointments because of the president’s busy agenda.
Even so, the interim Attorney General, Juan Carlos Villena, affirmed that the president was acting in absentia and Supreme Prosecutor Hernán Mendoza said in the Congressional Oversight Commission that he was thwarting the investigation.
On March 18, the Public Ministry opened a preliminary procedure against Boluarte for the alleged commission of the crime of illicit enrichment by not having declared luxury watches before the National Election Jury (JNE).
Shortly before midnight on Friday, a team of about 20 prosecutors and as many police officers arrived at the house in Boluarte, in the Lima district of Surquillo, where, when they did not receive a response when they knocked on the door, they broke the lock and entered the house.
Five hours later they left with briefcases to their next destination, the Government Palace, where they were for several hours raiding the office and the residential area of the complex.
The court order signed by Supreme Judge Juan Carlos Checkley authorized the raid, with unveiling if necessary, of the residence of Boluarte, “who is attributed to be the alleged perpetrator of the crimes of illicit enrichment and failure to record statements in documents.”
Shortly after the registration at the Government Palace was concluded, the Prime Minister, Gustavo Adrianzén, went out together with several members of the cabinet and the president’s lawyer to describe this measure as disproportionate, illegal and unconstitutional.
“What they are doing is politicizing and evidencing that justice has been politicized in an unprecedented event that is attacking the democratic institutionality and the Presidency and, above all, evidencing the crocking of the democratic system and constitutionality,” said the Minister of Justice and Human Rights, Eduardo Arana.
Lawyer Mateo Castañeda said that the raid was unnecessary and unjustified, that it is not proportionate to the purpose of this diligence and “that so many fiscal and police personnel cannot be mobilized to search for watches.”
During the day, the official accounts on social network X of several ministries such as the Interior or Agrarian Development, as well as all the ministers, supported Boluarte and rejected the fiscal and police intervention.
While the country waited for Boluarte’s words, the raid divided the Peruvian political parties between those who saw an opportunity to resurrect a new election and criticize the president, and those who criticized the raid and defended it.
Among the first was the Marxist party to which the president herself belonged, Perú Libre, who presented to Congress a motion of vacancy (destitution) against her that so far has the signature of 26 parliamentarians of the 130 that make up the chamber.
But most conservative political formations such as Fuerza Popular, Renovación Popular or Somos Perú, who defined the raid as “mere spectacle” or “abuse of power,” showed their support for Boluarte.
With great expectation, the president made a statement with her entire cabinet in which she defined what happened at her home and Government Palace as “arbitrary, abusive and disproportionate and affirmed that there has never been either refusal or rebellion on her part in the face of the tax investigation.
He did not refer to what the citizenry expected: the origin of the clocks. According to he said, his lawyer has recommended that he only deal with this issue in public at the Prosecutor’s Office, where he will clarify the facts “as soon as possible.”
In addition, he blamed the media for organizing a campaign of harassment against him and spreading false and biased news against him for months and reiterated that he will leave the Government in 2026 with clean hands.
During the day it was made public that the Judiciary admitted to processing a habeas corpus presented by the president’s defense so that the procedure of raiding her home is declared null and void.
According to his lawyer, Boluarte will testify in the Public Ministry on Friday, April 5, and in the meantime journalistic programs have announced that they will reveal details of what the prosecutor’s team found at home and that Peruvians want to know.
International
Chuck Schumer Unveils Proposal to Strengthen Oversight of the U.S. Presidency
U.S. Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer on Thursday announced legislation to establish a federal anti-corruption office aimed at strengthening oversight of the executive branch and preventing future presidents from using the White House for personal financial gain.
Schumer said the proposal was prompted by what he described as President Donald Trump’s misuse of the presidencyto benefit his family’s business interests.
“In just 18 months, the Trump family has made more than $4 billion by exploiting the influence of the presidency,” Schumer alleged.
The New York senator also argued that the alleged corruption has had direct economic consequences for American households.
“The same corrupt practices Trump is using to pocket billions of dollars are also forcing Americans to pay, on average, $3,100 more each year because of the rising cost of living,” he said.
The legislation was introduced alongside Democratic Senators Alex Padilla, Jeff Merkley, and Andy Kim.
According to Schumer, the bill has two primary objectives: “First, to return money to the American people. Second, to ensure that no one can ever steal from them again.”
He added that the proposal would create legal mechanisms allowing citizens to seek the recovery of funds allegedly obtained through government corruption.
“The fact that Trump stole money from the American people does not make it his. Americans deserve to get that money back,” Schumer said.
Under the proposed legislation, any U.S. citizen—as well as state attorneys general acting on behalf of their residents—would be authorized to file civil lawsuits to recover funds allegedly acquired through corrupt practices by public officials.
“Our bill would empower any individual, including a state attorney general acting on behalf of the people of that state, to bring legal action to recover money stolen from the public through government corruption,” Schumer said.
The measure is expected to face debate in Congress, where Republicans and Democrats remain deeply divided over executive accountability and the scope of presidential powers.
International
Trump Administration Urges Latin America to Increase Defense Spending Against Organized Crime
The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday urged Latin American countries to increase investment in defense and security to strengthen the fight against organized crime and drug trafficking networks.
The appeal was made by Elbridge Colby, the U.S. Under Secretary of Defense for Policy, in an article published by Americas Quarterly. Colby argued that governments across the region should assume greater responsibility for protecting their territories from transnational criminal organizations.
“It is essential that our neighbors in the region invest more in their own defense and security. There is no reason why any country, especially those facing significant narco-terrorist threats, should spend so little on defense,” Colby wrote.
The Pentagon official described it as “absurd” that some Latin American nations allocate less than 1% of their Gross Domestic Product (GDP) to defense, although he did not identify the countries. He contrasted that with NATO members in Europe, many of which are increasing defense expenditures to 3.5% of GDP, with an additional 1.5% devoted to security-related investments.
Colby, who participated earlier this month in the Conference of Defense Ministers of the Americas in Cusco, Peru, said there is “a historic opportunity” for the United States and its regional partners to strengthen cooperation against drug trafficking and other transnational threats.
He also defended the proposed Shield of the Americas, a military partnership promoted by the Trump administration to combat organized crime and supported by several conservative governments in the region. The initiative does not include Brazil or Mexico.
In addition, Colby said the administration’s security strategy includes an updated interpretation of the Monroe Doctrine, the long-standing U.S. foreign policy principle that historically viewed Latin America as part of Washington’s sphere of influence.
“Of course, we recognize that the Monroe Doctrine is controversial in many circles. But it is also frequently misunderstood,” he said.
According to Colby, the United States is not seeking “exploitation, subordination or dependence,” but rather a region characterized by greater prosperity, stability and security.
He also stated that Washington is prepared to use “all available resources,” including the U.S. Armed Forces, to combat drug trafficking and irregular migration. Colby highlighted ongoing counternarcotics operations in the Caribbean, despite criticism from human rights organizations that have questioned some missions over allegations of extrajudicial killings in international waters.
International
FAO and WFP Seek $42 Million to Prepare Southern Africa for Unprecedented El Niño
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the World Food Programme (WFP) on Thursday appealed for $42 million to help vulnerable communities in southern Africa prepare for what is expected to be an unprecedented El Niño event.
The funding will enable humanitarian agencies to protect millions of people before worsening weather conditions severely affect agricultural production across the region.
Following a meeting with partners in Maputo, Mozambique, the two UN agencies said they still need to secure $42 million of the $54 million required to assist 2.3 million people in Madagascar, Malawi, Mozambique and Zimbabwe.
In a joint statement, FAO and WFP said the appeal marks the first time the two organizations have launched a large-scale, forward-looking call for anticipatory action, warning that insufficient funding could push the region’s most vulnerable families into a major food security crisis.
“The period before the main planting season is critical for taking action,” said José Luis Fernández, FAO Representative in Mozambique. He stressed that early intervention is both more effective and less costly than responding after crops have failed and productive assets have already been lost.
“With timely and flexible financing, we can help farmers access appropriate seeds and agricultural inputs, protect livestock and water resources, and sustain food production before reduced rainfall causes irreversible damage,” Fernández said.
Claire Conan, WFP Representative in Mozambique, emphasized that acting before disasters strike is more efficient and cost-effective than responding after communities have lost their livelihoods. She added that the agency is working closely with the Mozambican government to translate climate forecasts into preventive measures aimed at reducing the impact of droughts and floods.
The planned interventions include supporting farmers, strengthening food production systems and protecting the food security of the region’s most vulnerable households, with the goal of reducing the risk of widespread hunger.
El Niño is a recurring climate phenomenon characterized by unusually warm sea surface temperatures in the equatorial Pacific Ocean and changes in atmospheric circulation, disrupting weather patterns around the world. Its most recent episode, between 2023 and 2024, was associated with record global temperatures, severe droughts across southern Africa, Central America and northern South America, as well as destructive wildfires, torrential rainfall and widespread flooding.
Chuck Schumer Unveils Proposal to Strengthen Oversight of the U.S. Presidency
Trump Administration Urges Latin America to Increase Defense Spending Against Organized Crime
FAO and WFP Seek $42 Million to Prepare Southern Africa for Unprecedented El Niño
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