A Peruvian court on Wednesday sentenced former President Martín Vizcarra to 14 years in prison after finding him guilty of accepting bribes while serving as a regional governor, marking the latest conviction in a country where corruption scandals have repeatedly toppled national leaders.
The court ruled that Vizcarra took bribes totaling approximately $676,000 from construction companies in exchange for awarding public works contracts during his tenure as governor of the southern Moquegua region between 2011 and 2014, several years before he assumed the presidency. Prosecutors argued that the illicit payments were linked to major infrastructure projects, including hospital and public works developments.
Vizcarra, who became president in 2018 following the resignation of his predecessor, has consistently denied the accusations. Throughout the trial, which began in October 2025, he maintained that the charges were politically motivated and part of a campaign to discredit him. After the sentence was announced, Vizcarra denounced the ruling in a message posted on social media platform X, declaring, “This is not justice, it is revenge. But they will not break me.”
In addition to the prison term, the court imposed a nine-year ban on holding public office, further limiting Vizcarra’s political future. His legal team confirmed that it has filed an appeal, arguing that the prosecution relied on testimony from business executives whom Vizcarra had previously accused of corruption. His lawyer, Erwin Siccha, said the case was built on “contradictory and self-serving statements” from cooperating witnesses.
Vizcarra’s conviction adds to Peru’s growing list of former presidents ensnared in corruption cases. He is expected to be transferred to a Lima prison that already holds three other ex-leaders. Former presidents Alejandro Toledo and Ollanta Humala are serving sentences for corruption-related offenses, while Pedro Castillo remains in custody as he faces charges related to rebellion.
Despite his legal setbacks, Vizcarra has remained influential in Peruvian politics. In the 2021 congressional elections, the center-left politician won the highest number of votes of any candidate, though he was later barred by Congress from holding public office for 10 years over his decision to dissolve the legislature in 2019. That sanction runs parallel to the new court-ordered ban.
Looking ahead to national elections, Vizcarra indicated that his political movement would continue through his family. His older brother, Mario Vizcarra, is expected to run in the April 2026 presidential elections under the banner of the “Peru First” party, where the former president has served as a key adviser. “The answer lies in the voting booth,” Vizcarra said, adding that his brother would carry on what he described as their shared political fight.
The ruling represents another major development in the sprawling “Lava Jato” (Car Wash) investigations, a regional corruption probe stemming from a kickback scheme involving Brazilian construction giant Odebrecht, now known as Novonor. The scandal has implicated senior politicians and business figures across Latin America and has played a central role in Peru’s prolonged political instability.
Peru has cycled through six presidents since 2018, with repeated impeachments and resignations underscoring public frustration with corruption and weak governance. Vizcarra’s sentencing, while welcomed by prosecutors as a milestone in accountability, is likely to deepen debates over whether the country’s justice system is restoring trust—or further fueling political polarization.
By FCCT Editorial Team
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