A Peruvian court sentenced former President Alejandro Toledo to 20 years and six months in prison after convicting him of corruption and money laundering.
Toledo, who served as president from 2001 to 2006, was accused by prosecutors of accepting $35 million in bribes from the Brazilian construction company Odebrecht in exchange for awarding the company a highway construction contract in southern Peru.
The 78-year-old, who had been living in California for several years, was arrested there and extradited to Peru in 2023 to face these charges. Odebrecht, now known as Novonor, has acknowledged paying millions in bribes to officials across Latin America and the U.S. to secure government contracts.
During sentencing, Judge Inés Rojas highlighted Toledo’s betrayal of the public’s trust, saying that instead of responsibly managing the country’s finances, he defrauded the nation. Throughout the trial, Toledo denied the charges, often appearing dismissive by laughing and smirking during the proceedings.
Toledo is not the only former Peruvian leader implicated in the Odebrecht scandal. In 2019, former President Alan García took his own life as police arrived to arrest him on related bribery charges. Additionally, former presidents Pedro Pablo Kuczynski and Ollanta Humala are also under investigation in connection with the case.