LIMA: A nose job by Peruvian President Dina Boluarte sparked intense controversy on Tuesday, with some lawmakers calling for her to be removed from office for not delegating her responsibilities during the procedure.

The procedure that Boluarte, 62, underwent in the summer of 2023 has been discussed at length on social media and in the local press, but was only officially confirmed on Tuesday, when Boluarte’s former prime minister Alberto Otarola revealed it to a congressional commission.

“She told me she was going to get a rhinoplasty... a surgery on the nose, but for breathing problems,” Otarola told lawmakers conducting an inquiry into the matter.

The congressional oversight commission is probing Boluarte’s whereabouts between June 28 and July 10, 2023, when she completely disappeared from public view. This is when, local media reports say, Boluarte had the surgery at a clinic in Lima without informing the public or delegating her powers to Congress.

Otarola said that during her recovery period, Boluarte carried out her duties virtually.

Published in Dawn, December 5th, 2024