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Who is Dina Boluarte, Peru’s first woman president?

Dec 8, 2022, 8:27am EST
South America
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The News

Peru swore in the first woman president in its history, Dina Boluarte. The former vice president assumed the role after President Pedro Castillo’s impeachment Wednesday.

Peru's interim President Dina Boluarte, who was called on by Congress to take the office after the legislature approved the removal of President Pedro Castillo in an impeachment trial, waves after being sworn-in, in Lima, Peru December 7, 2022.
REUTERS/Sebastian Castaneda
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Quick Facts

  • Boluarte was vice president under Castillo, running on the same ticket during Peru’s presidential election in 2021.
  • As vice president, she was in charge of Peru’s ministry of development and social inclusion.
  • In January, Boluarte came under fire for saying she never embraced the ideology of her party, Peru Libre.
  • Before running for office, Boluarte worked as a lawyer.
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Know More

On Wednesday, Castillo tried to dissolve Congress just hours before impeachment proceedings were set to begin against him. Lawmakers continued with the process anyway, voting 101-6 to remove Castillo from office.

The former president was arrested following his attempted coup.

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Castillo is being investigated for six separate federal corruption cases, and Wednesday’s impeachment vote was the third such vote he has faced.

Boluarte is due to remain in office until July 2026. She is, however, Peru’s fifth president since 2020, and the country’s political instability in recent years raises questions over whether she can serve out the rest of the term.

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