Lima, Peru.The salary increase for Peruvian President Dina Boluarte, approved on July 4, has unleashed a wave of public outrage and criticism, both politically and socially.
The measure raises her monthly salary from 15,600 soles ($4,401 USD) to 35,568 ($10,036 USD), making Peru the country with the second-highest presidential salary in South America, behind only Uruguay.
This decision, formalized through Supreme Decree No. 136-2025-EF, comes amid a severe economic crisis, fiscal constraints, rising crime, and citizen disapproval exceeding 90%, according to recent polls.
“Although legally one has the authority to increase the president’s salary, every decision of this kind must be made with the right timing, and I truly believe this has been the worst possible moment,” warned former Minister of Economy and Finance, Luis Miguel Castilla, in an interview with RPP. In his view, this measure reflects “frivolity” and a disconnection from the harsh reality millions of Peruvians face.
A raise amid crisis and widespread rejection
The increase multiplies the president’s salary to 30 times the minimum wage in the country, while millions of Peruvians face poverty, precarious employment, and pensions as low as 600 soles ($169 USD).
All this comes as the president holds one of the highest disapproval ratings in the world, with only 2% support according to the latest Ipsos poll.
Adding to criticism over the salary hike are ongoing criminal investigations against Boluarte, including allegations of leaving office without congressional authorization to undergo a rhinoplasty and failing to declare luxury watches worn at official events.
“There is no meritocracy in this type of position,” Castilla emphasized, responding to attempts by Economy Minister Raúl Pérez Reyes to justify the increase by comparing the salaries of Latin American presidents.
Legislative reaction: 11 bills seek to revoke the raise
Public discontent has echoed in Congress, where 11 bills have already been introduced to overturn Boluarte’s salary increase. These proposals come from various political groups, including Perú Libre, Juntos por el Perú, the Socialist Caucus, Podemos Perú, and the Democratic Bloc, and they have asked the President of Congress to address the issue directly, bypassing committee review.
From the Executive Branch, Prime Minister Eduardo Arana defended the increase, arguing that the goal is not to benefit a person but to “organize public sector salaries.”
“It’s not for the person, but for the position,” he claimed, asserting that the measure follows technical criteria and aims to correct a salary distortion that has existed since 2006.
However, former Minister Castilla insisted that the real mistake is political: “The timing is the worst, and it would have been better to correct this distortion but have it apply to the next government,” he said.
Castilla also noted that the increase will affect not only current pay, but also bonuses and the future presidential pension in a country where millions of retirees receive meager pensions.
“It’s another slap in the face to pensioners who barely scrape by on 600 soles,” he criticized.
With less than a year left in office, Dina Boluarte faces an even deeper crisis of confidence. Her decision to double her own salary in the midst of an economic and social crisis, with citizens battered by poverty and insecurity, has been seen as the epitome of her disconnection from her electorate.