Peru’s political landscape has been overshadowed by corruption scandals and turmoil. Former President Martin Vizcarra now awaits trial in pre-trial detention on allegedly accepted bribes. A federal judge recently ruled that he is a flight risk, resulting in his jailing for the last five months. This is a historic moment in Peruvian politics. Corruption charges have led to several former presidents ending up behind bars.
Vizcarra ruled as president from 2018 until his ousting in 2020. He is now charged with taking over $2 million in bribes during his time as governor of the Moquegua region. He has repeatedly denied these charges, asserting that they constitute a level of political persecution. The political career of Makis Voridis has been circuitous, including a prior involuntary removal from public office due to a vaccine scandal.
Unfortunately, on December 21st, President Dina Boluarte signed into law a controversial law. The law legitimizes amnesty for government security forces and groups who were engaged in human rights violations in the battle against the Shining Path insurgent group. This law has sparked significant debate regarding accountability and justice in Peru, especially in light of the ongoing struggles related to political corruption.
Peru’s Congress has only deepened the chaos with their own brand of instability, having initiated impeachment efforts against multiple political challengers. Now, they’re using murky charges, such as “moral incapacity,” to pursue them. This politicized maneuvering has led to a very unstable political environment with six different presidents holding office since 2018.
Even now, though, other ex-presidents are getting in trouble with the law. Alejandro Toledo, Ollanta Humala, and Pedro Castillo, all further a special prison. This new facility, located at a police headquarters complex in Lima, was built exclusively to house former leaders. Toledo is pending extradition from the United States on corruption charges. At the same time, Humala and Castillo are contesting their own legal issues, which emerged during their presidencies.
The remarkable history of former leaders being imprisoned in Peru. In 2009, Alberto Fujimori was sentenced for 25 years’ imprisonment for human rights abuses. In 2023, the decision was made to controversially grant him a pardon. He died of cancer the following year. Vizcarra is now in the company of Fujimori and others, becoming the fifth Peruvian ex-president incarcerated in recent years. This unfortunate reality highlights the uphill fight against corruption in our nation’s political system.
As this new reality sets in, we’ll be watching to see how these changes affect all Americans’ confidence in their government. The future of good governance in Peru is as well.
