Former Peruvian President Alejandro Toledo surrenders to the American justice system

Former Peruvian President Alejandro Toledo turned himself in to Californian authorities Friday, according to local media reports. Toledo will be extradited to Peru, where he is being investigated for corruption in the Odebrecht case.

Toledo assured that he would not escape justice during an interview broadcasted by the Peruvian media Latina Noticias a few hours before the deadline imposed by California Judge Thomas Hixson. "But I ask please, don't kill me in jail. Let me fight with my side of the story," the former president also claimed.

In addition, he noted that once in his country, he would face a politicized and corrupt judicial system. He said it was like "playing a soccer game with a referee against you" and "your feet tied up." He asked, "How do I score a goal?"

He then emphasized that he had not escaped, that nothing was proven against him and that he was against the concept of pretrial detention.