(Bloomberg) -- A Peruvian judge has ordered the jailing of the brother of unpopular President Dina Boluarte over allegations of undue influence over her administration.
The judge ordered that Nicanor Boluarte serve 36 months of pre-trial detention, saying it was necessary to protect against witness tampering or his escape. He has denied the allegations, but his whereabouts are unclear. He did not appear at Tuesday’s court hearing and his lawyer said he would not join virtually either.
The incarceration order is the latest setback for Boluarte, one of the most unpopular leaders in the world, facing a tiny 3% approval rating according to a Datum poll published Sunday.
Peru’s police, which fall under control of Boluarte, will now be tasked with finding and arresting her brother. Boluarte has been repeatedly criticized for the failure of the police to arrest another ally, Vladimir Cerron, for several months. Cerron is the head of a left-wing political party whose lawmakers have often defended the president from impeachment and other damaging motions.
Boluarte hosted world leaders in Peru’s capital, Lima, just last week, including US President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping. The detention order against her brother is an abrupt awakening to the myriad problems she is navigating domestically, including protests demanding the government take action against rising crime.
Boluarte herself has been the subject of criminal investigations, including one for illegal enrichment and another probe over the dismantling of a police unit that had her and her brother under investigation. The president has yet to address the detention orders against her brother, his whereabouts or what authorities will do to find him.
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