LIMA (Reuters) -A Peruvian court on Wednesday sentenced former President Martin Vizcarra to 14 years in prison after finding him guilty of taking bribes years before he took office, adding to a list of former leaders jailed for corruption.
According to the verdict, Vizcarra accepted bribes equivalent to $676,000 from construction firms in exchange for public works contracts while serving as governor of the southern Moquegua region from 2011 to 2014.
Throughout the trial, which began last October, Vizcarra denied the charges, claiming he was a victim of political persecution. He came to power in 2018 after his predecessor resigned and was ousted two years later by Congress amid graft investigations.
His older brother, Mario Vizcarra, plans to run in the April 2026 presidential election for the “Peru First” party, where the former president serves as a key advisor.
In the 2021 election, Vizcarra won the most votes of any congressional candidate but was later banned by Congress from holding public office for 10 years for dissolving the legislature in 2019.
Peru has been mired in political turmoil, cycling through six presidents since 2018 due to impeachments and resignations often driven by corruption scandals.
Three other former presidents are also in jail. Alejandro Toledo and Ollanta Humala are both serving time for corruption convictions, Pedro Castillo is being held while on rebellion charges.
(Reporting by Marco Aquino; Writing by Kylie Madry; Editing by Brendan O’Boyle)
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