Former Peruvian President Alejandro Toledo has been sentenced to 20 years and six months in prison for accepting $35 million in bribes from the Brazilian construction firm Odebrecht in exchange for awarding them a freeway construction contract. The ruling, issued on Monday, marks one of the harshest penalties handed down in connection to the wide-reaching Odebrecht corruption scandal, which has ensnared politicians across Latin America.
Toledo, 78, who led Peru from 2001 to 2006, was convicted after a yearlong trial where he consistently denied charges of money laundering and collusion. Despite his defense, prosecutors were able to link the massive bribery to political favors involving public contracts.
At a hearing last week, Toledo pleaded for leniency, citing his ongoing battle with cancer. "I want to go to a private clinic. I ask you please to let me get better or die at home," he said, but his health concerns did not sway the court's decision.
Toledo's legal troubles began in 2019 when he was arrested in the United States after Peru sought his extradition. Following lengthy legal debates, he was extradited back to Peru in 2022 to face charges related to the Odebrecht scandal. The former president will now serve his sentence at a prison near Lima, specifically designed to accommodate former heads of state.
The Odebrecht case, which has rocked political circles throughout Latin America, has led to the downfall of numerous officials, not only in Peru but also in countries like Panama and Ecuador. Investigations tied to the construction giant, now rebranded as Novonor, continue to unfold in other nations, including Guatemala and Mexico.
Toledo may not be the last former president to face jail time over the scandal. Former Peruvian presidents Pedro Pablo Kuczynski and Ollanta Humala are also under investigation for similar charges related to Odebrecht, and their cases may lead to further convictions.
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