Former Peruvian President Martín Vizcarra was sentenced today to 14 years in prison after being found guilty of accepting bribes while serving as governor of the southern region of Moquegua in the early 2010s.
From anti-corruption crusader to convicted
Vizcarra, who led the country from 2018 to 2020 and once vowed to eradicate corruption, was convicted of taking approximately $640,000 (around €550,000) from construction companies in exchange for awarding public contracts in Moquegua between 2011 and 2014.
The 62-year-old remained calm throughout the hearing, denied all charges, and insisted he is the victim of political persecution.
He had been held in pre-trial detention for 22 days in August over flight-risk concerns, but was released by an appeals court in September pending trial, which began a month later.
Fifth ex-president behind bars
Martín Vizcarra becomes the fifth former Peruvian president to be imprisoned, joining Alberto Fujimori (1990–2000), Alejandro Toledo (2001–2006), Ollanta Humala (2011–2016), and Pedro Castillo (2021–2022).
His elder brother, Mario Vizcarra, plans to run for the presidency in the upcoming April elections.
Also read: Peru: Former President Martín Vizcarra sentenced to 14 years for corruption
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