Benavides filed a constitutional complaint this week charging Boluarte and her prime minister with first-degree murder. The complaint was filed just hours after Benavides herself faced allegations of leading a corruption ring, which prompted the attorney general to fire the prosecutor who made the accusations. The president said she was astonished by the complaint against her and suggested Benevides was attempting to distract from the corruption allegations the prosecutor is facing.
A congressional committee will now review the complaint against Boluarte. While the Peruvian constitution generally protects sitting presidents from facing criminal charges, if a majority of the legislature votes to approve the charges against Boluarte, she could face a trial after leaving office. While that might seem like a layer of protection, maintaining Peru’s presidency is no easy task: Peru has had six presidents since 2016.
