Peru: Peru’s political landscape was once again shaken as a court sentenced former President Alejandro Toledo to 13 years and four months in prison for money laundering, marking his second conviction linked to the country’s sprawling corruption scandals.
Toledo, 79, who governed Peru from 2001 to 2006, was found guilty of using illicit funds from the Brazilian construction giant Odebrecht now renamed Novonor, to acquire high-value real estate in Lima. According to prosecutors, Toledo and his wife funnelled $5.1 million through an offshore company in Costa Rica to buy a luxury house, an office, and to pay off mortgages on two other properties.
The ruling follows a 20-year, six-month sentence handed down in October 2024, when Toledo was convicted of accepting up to $35 million in bribes from Odebrecht in exchange for awarding lucrative infrastructure contracts. His sentences will be served concurrently.
Despite consistently denying charges of money laundering and collusion throughout his yearlong trial, Toledo is now serving time at a special detention facility for former presidents on a police base in Lima. He joins ex-presidents Ollanta Humala and Pedro Castillo, who remain in custody at the same prison.
Meanwhile, another dramatic turn unfolded, as Peru’s top court ordered the release of former President Martin Vizcarra, who had been jailed last month ahead of trial. Vizcarra, accused of accepting bribes while governor of Moquegua over a decade ago, faces a possible 15-year prison sentence if convicted. Vizcarra has rejected the allegations, calling them politically motivated, and had been preparing a presidential run in 2026.
The sweeping Odebrecht corruption scandal, part of Brazil’s infamous ‘Car Wash’ probe, has engulfed nearly every Peruvian leader this century. Former President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski, 86, is currently on trial, with prosecutors seeking a 35-year sentence against him. With five ex-presidents entangled in corruption cases, Peru remains gripped by a cycle of political instability and public distrust in its leadership.
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