A Peruvian court on Wednesday sentenced former President Martín Vizcarra to 14 years in prison after finding him guilty of accepting bribes years before he assumed office, adding him to the growing list of former Peruvian leaders jailed for corruption.
According to the verdict, Vizcarra received bribes worth $676,000 from construction companies in exchange for public works contracts while he served as governor of the southern Moquegua region between 2011 and 2014. Vizcarra denied the allegations throughout the trial, which began in October, insisting he was the target of political persecution. He became president in 2018 after his predecessor resigned but was removed by Congress two years later amid corruption probes.
His older brother, Mario Vizcarra, is preparing to run in the April 2026 presidential election under the “Peru First” party, where the former president serves as a key adviser.In the 2021 elections, Vizcarra secured the highest number of votes for a congressional seat but was later barred from public office for 10 years for dissolving Congress in 2019.
Peru has faced persistent political instability, cycling through six presidents since 2018 due to impeachments and resignations frequently linked to corruption. Three other former presidents are currently in prison: Alejandro Toledo and Ollanta Humala on corruption convictions, and Pedro Castillo, who is being held on rebellion charges.
