Peruvian President, Dina Boluarte, appeared before prosecutors on Monday to explain a two-week absence for plastic surgery on her nose that she insists was medical, not cosmetic.

Boluarte, 62, did not appoint a caretaker president for the period of her absence in July 2023 and stands accused of abandoning her post.

She appeared before prosecutors investigating the case for four hours Monday and left without speaking to reporters waiting outside.

Some lawmakers have called for Boluarte to be removed from office. She had not informed the public or delegated her powers to Congress, as determined by law.

But her team said she had carried out her duties virtually while recovering at a clinic in Lima from rhinoplasty for “breathing problems.”

Boluarte has been embroiled in controversy for months.

Prosecutors also accuse her of accepting bribes in the form of Rolex watches and jewellery, and she is being investigated over the deaths of more than 50 protesters during a crackdown on demonstrations against her presidency in 2022.

Boluarte took office in December of that year, replacing left-wing president Pedro Castillo after he was impeached and imprisoned for unsuccessfully trying to dissolve Congress.

She had been his vice president.

Boluarte does not have her own party in Congress and has a disapproval rating of nearly 95 per cent. Her term ends in July 2026.

Peru suffers from chronic political instability and has had six presidents in the past eight years.

AFP

Sixteen people have been killed in the Los Angeles wildfire. An amputee and his son with cerebral palsy were among those killed. The father was found at his son’s bedside.

One victim told a relative that he did not want to evacuate. He died trying to fight the blaze that consumed his home of more than 50 years.

Another victim, an 85-year-old woman, refused to leave her home as the fast-moving Palisades Fire approached, preferring instead to stay behind with her beloved pets.

A former child star from Australia also was among those who died, as well as a Malibu resident and surfer who was called a “magnet for people.”

According to the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner, five of the 16 deaths appear related to the Palisades Fire near the Southern California coast. Another 11 deaths have been attributed to the Eaton Fire, which raged east of Los Angeles.

The complete death toll won’t be clear until it’s safe for investigators to enter neighborhoods where there are downed power lines, gas leaks and other hazards, according to authorities.

The Death toll from the devastating California wildfires has risen to eleven, the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner said Friday.

According to Fox News, the number of persons confirmed dead is expected to rise as the incident moved into a fifth consecutive day on Saturday.

It was gathered that over 12,300 homes and buildings have gone up in flames since the incident started early in the week

Fresh evacuations were ordered Friday night in some of the affected parts, including Mandeville Canyon.

A company that monitors electrical activity, Whisker Labs, says faults along the Los Angeles power grid skyrocketed in the same areas where three of the major wildfires are currently raging.

The chief executive of the company, Bob Marshall told Fox News Digital that the company recorded sharp increases in faults in the hours prior to the Eaton, Palisades and Hurst Fires.

“Faults are caused by tree limbs touching wires or wires blowing in the wind and touching.

“That creates a spark in a fault, and we detect all of those things,” Marshall explained, adding that he can’t definitively say whether one of those faults caused a fire.