On September 3, 2025, a Peruvian court handed former President Alejandro Toledo a new sentence of 13 years and four months in prison for money laundering, marking his second major conviction tied to the sprawling Odebrecht corruption scandal.
This verdict intensifies Peru’s ongoing reckoning with political graft and adds to Toledo’s already heavy legal burdens.
Here’s a full breakdown of what’s known so far — in detail, with key facts, figures, and context for understanding why this case matters.
Toledo and the Odebrecht Legacy
- Toledo’s presidency: 2001 to 2006
- Age at sentencing: ~ 79 years old
- Earlier conviction: In October 2024, Toledo was sentenced to 20 years and six months for accepting up to USD 35 million in bribes from Odebrecht in exchange for public works contracts.
- New conviction: This second sentence is for laundering USD 5.1 million in illicit funds obtained from that same scheme.
The new ruling does not add on top of the 2024 sentence; rather, both sentences will run concurrently, meaning he serves both at the same time, not consecutively.
What He Was Accused Of & What the Court Found
Prosecutors detail that Toledo and his wife used bribe money to:
- Purchase luxury real estate — a house and office in Lima’s upscale neighborhoods
- Pay down mortgages on two additional properties
- Move funds via an offshore company registered in Costa Rica, enabling cross-border money laundering
The court determined that the USD 5.1 million sum was integral to this transaction chain. Toledo has maintained his innocence, denying money laundering and collusion throughout the proceedings.
Sentence Comparison & Legal Details
| Aspect | 2024 Conviction | 2025 Conviction |
|---|---|---|
| Reason | Bribery & corruption (granting lucrative public contracts) | Money laundering of bribe proceeds |
| Amount involved | ~ USD 35 million | ~ USD 5.1 million |
| Sentence | 20 years, 6 months | 13 years, 4 months |
| Execution | Active | Runs concurrently with 2024 term |
| Status | Already imprisoned | New ruling strengthens legal case |
Since the new sentence is concurrent, Toledo will not serve them back to back; instead, the longer term already in place (20+ years) takes precedence.
Current Imprisonment & Others Entangled
- Toledo is being held at Barbadillo Prison, a Lima facility known as the presidential prison, which also houses former presidents Ollanta Humala and Pedro Castillo.
- Martin Vizcarra, another former president, was recently released pending trial on corruption charges tied to his time as regional governor.
- Pedro Pablo Kuczynski, aged 86, remains under prosecution in the same broader Odebrecht case, with prosecutors seeking a 35-year sentence.
Thus, Toledo joins a growing list of Peru’s ex-presidents prosecuted or imprisoned in connection to the Odebrecht affair.
Political & Legal Implications
This second sentence:
- Reinforces the notion that even powerful, high-ranking figures can be held accountable.
- Strengthens Peru’s signal to both domestic and international audiences that the justice system will continue to pursue major corruption cases.
- Comes amid political turbulence in Peru, where trust in institutions has been shaken by repeated allegations against its leaders.
The new 13-year mark against Alejandro Toledo cements Peru’s unrelenting saga of political accountability in the Odebrecht scandal. Toledo, once a reformist leader, now faces the very institutions he led being used to enforce his accountability.
This ruling not only deepens his legal peril, but also raises the stakes for other former presidents under investigation. If Peru’s goal is to shake off a legacy of impunity, this verdict signals the judiciary is willing to push forward — no matter how powerful the accused may be.
