[1/2] Peru's interim President Dina Boluarte, who was called on by Congress to take the office after the legislature approved the removal of President Pedro Castillo in an impeachment trial, waves after being sworn-in, in Lima, Peru December 7, 2022.
REUTERS/Sebastian CastanedaLIMA, Dec 7 (Reuters) - Dina Boluarte became Peru's first female president on Wednesday amid a political maelstrom when her predecessor and former boss Pedro Castillo was ousted in an impeachment trial and detained by police after he tried to illegally shut down Congress.
But she shot to prominence alongside Castillo as the vice president on his ticket when the pair pulled off a shock election victory in 2021 for the far-left Peru Libre party.
Once in office, Castillo tapped Boluarte as his development and social inclusion minister, a role she managed to keep until recently amid several cabinet shakeups.
In recent weeks, Boluarte also distanced herself from Castillo, resigning from her role as a Cabinet minister after he replaced his prime minister in what some saw as an escalation in his showdown with Congress.