Peruvian police raided the home of President Dina Bolarte as part of a corruption investigation known as “Rolexgate.”
Authorities were searching for more than a dozen Rolex watches that President Bolarte allegedly did not declare.
The investigation began after attention was drawn to a luxury watch she wore at a public event dating back to when she took office in December 2022.
Peru's government called Saturday's attack “disproportionate and unconstitutional.”
“The political noise being made is serious and affects investments and the country as a whole,” Peruvian Prime Minister Gustavo Adrianzen said in a post on X, formerly Twitter.
The government's auditor general announced earlier this month that it would review Mr. Bolarte's asset declarations for the past two years.
In a speech last week, Mr. Bolarte insisted that he entered the government with “clean hands” and that he would “leave the government with clean hands.”
Her Rolex is an old one that she bought with the money she worked for since she was 18 years old.
The early Saturday morning raid was a joint operation between police and the prosecutor's office and was broadcast on local TV station Latina.
Police broke down the door to the presidential palace, apparently after refusing to heed calls from officials to allow them to examine evidence.
During an early morning raid, police surrounded Mr. Bolarte's home in Lima's Surquillo neighborhood
About 20 prosecutors and 20 police were involved in the raid in Lima's Surquillo district, just a few kilometers from the Government Palace, which was also raided.
Adrianzen said the president had not yet commented on the attack but was in the Oval Office.
The prime minister told RPP radio station that it was “impossible” that Bolarte plans to resign.
The raid came after prosecutors refused Bolarte's request for more time to subpoena him for proof of purchase.
Bolarte, a former lawyer, became president almost by accident after his predecessor, Pedro Castillo, was impeached for trying to dissolve Congress and rule by decree.
Castillo's ouster sparked violent protests demanding Bolarte's resignation and new elections. Dozens of people were killed in the clashes.
