Peruvian President Boluarte Doubles Salary Amid Low Approval, Scandals

Peru’s President Dina Boluarte has doubled her monthly salary to approximately $10,000 despite facing a historically low approval rating of around 2%. The salary increase was justified by Economy Minister Raul Perez-Reyes as aligning Boluarte's pay with that of other Latin American heads of state, moving her salary from the second lowest in the region to a more comparable level. This decision has sparked widespread public outrage and derision on social media, especially given the ongoing protests against rising gang violence and Boluarte's perceived failure to address the country's crises. Boluarte, who assumed the presidency in December 2022 after the impeachment of Pedro Castillo, has been embroiled in multiple investigations, including allegations of not declaring luxury gifts, which have further tainted her presidency. Critics, including economists and former officials, have condemned the raise as a sign of frivolity and poor timing amid national turmoil and plummeting approval ratings. The president’s salary now stands nearly 35 times higher than the national minimum wage, exacerbating public frustration.