Peruvian court sentences former President Martín Vizcarra to 14 years in prison for corruption

Former Peruvian President Martín Vizcarra was sentenced Wednesday to 14 years in prison for receiving bribes of more than $710,000 during his time as regional governor of Moquegua, between 2011 and 2014, before becoming head of state.

The sentence marks a new chapter in Peru's protracted political crisis, leaving the 62-year-old former head of state as the fourth former president in prison simultaneously in the last decade.

The ruling was issued by the Fourth National Collegiate Criminal Court, presided over by Judge Fernanda Ayasta, who said that Vizcarra "committed illegal acts by taking advantage of his position… pressuring bidders in order to award them contracts in exchange for money," reported AFP. The attorney general's office had requested a sentence of up to 15 years.

In addition, the court concluded that he should be disqualified for nine years from holding public office and must pay a fine of 730 days' work, equivalent to some $30,000.

Vizcarra, who came to power in 2018 following the resignation of Pedro Pablo Kuczynski and presented himself to the country as a fierce defender of fight against corruption, heard the sentence without showing any reaction. During the trial, which began in October 2024, he insisted on his innocence and claimed it was political persecution. The former president spent 22 days in custody this year as a flight risk before continuing the trial as a free man.

With this decision, Vizcarra joins the list of former Peruvian presidents currently in jail: Pedro Castillo, Ollanta Humala and Alejandro Toledo, reflecting a political arena marked by corruption scandals, instability and public distrust.

The former president's defense announced that he will appeal the ruling.