A Peruvian court has handed down a 13-year and four-month prison sentence to former President Alejandro Toledo for money laundering, marking his second conviction related to widespread corruption.
Toledo, who served as president from 2001 to 2006, was found guilty of using bribe money from Brazilian construction giant Odebrecht to acquire high-value real estate in Lima.
The court’s decision revealed that Toledo and his wife funneled $5.1 million through an offshore company in Costa Rica to purchase a house and an office in an upscale Lima neighborhood and pay off mortgages on two other properties.
This conviction follows a previous sentence of 20 years and six months handed down in October 2024, when Toledo was found guilty of accepting up to $35 million in bribes from Odebrecht in exchange for awarding the company lucrative public works contracts.
Toledo’s sentences will be served concurrently, meaning he will not serve more than 20 years and six months in total.
Given his current age of 79, it is highly unlikely that he will ever regain his freedom. The former president has consistently denied charges of money laundering and collusion leveled against him by prosecutors.
The Odebrecht corruption scandal has implicated governments across Latin America and nearly all of Peru’s presidents this century.
Toledo is one of five former Peruvian presidents jailed in recent years, including Ollanta Humala and Pedro Castillo, who are currently being held in a special facility built for former leaders.
Another former president, Martin Vizcarra, was released by a court on Wednesday while he awaits trial for allegedly taking bribes more than a decade ago.
Vizcarra, who had planned to run for president again in 2026, denies the charges against him, stating that they are a form of political persecution.
The prosecution has asked for a 15-year sentence. Pedro Pablo Kuczynski, 86, is also on trial for his alleged role in the scheme, with prosecutors seeking a 35-year prison sentence.
The convictions of Toledo and other former Peruvian presidents highlight the pervasive nature of corruption in Peruvian politics.
The “Car Wash” scandal, which originated in Brazil, exposed a vast network of kickbacks, shell companies, and political favors stretching from Mexico to Argentina. The scandal has eroded public trust in institutions and left a legacy of cynicism and disillusionment.
The successful prosecution of Toledo and others demonstrates a measure of accountability, but the road to justice is far from over.
As Peru continues to grapple with the fallout from the Odebrecht scandal, the nation remains mired in political instability and corruption.
The image of four former presidents sharing a single facility serves as a stark illustration of the crisis of governance that has plagued Peru in recent years.
