Vizcarra becomes latest ex-president imprisoned in Peru

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LIMA (Reuters) -A Peruvian judge ordered the pre-trial detention for former president Martin Vizcarra on Wednesday for allegedly taking bribes while he was governor more than a decade ago.

At the hearing, Judge Jorge Chavez ordered Vizcarra to be held for five months, making him the fifth former Peruvian president to be jailed in recent years.

Vizcarra is accused of taking bribes equivalent to $640,000 from construction companies in exchange for public works in the Moquegua region between 2011 and 2014.

Vizcarra is now likely headed to a police base in Lima specially built to house former presidents.

The prison is already busy, with former Presidents Alejandro Toledo, Ollanta Humala and Pedro Castillo currently held there. Its first inmate was former President Alberto Fujimori, who was sentenced to 25 years in prison in 2009 for human rights violations.

Fujimori was pardoned in late 2023, sparking protests around the country. The former leader died of cancer the following year.

Vizcarra, who has denied the charges and claimed to be a victim of political persecution, came to power in 2018 after his predecessor resigned. He was removed from office by Congress two years later when the investigations against him began.

A previous judge had rejected the prosecutor’s request detain Vizcarra in June, but the public ministry appealed the ruling, dubbing Vizcarra a flight risk. Vizcarra had also planned to run in the 2026 presidential election.

Vizcarra’s lawyer said he would appeal the decision.

The prosecution has requested up to 15 years in prison for the former president. Peru’s politics have faced constant turbulence and upheaval, cycling through six presidents since 2018 amid corruption scandals, resignations and removals.

(Reporting by Marco Aquino; Writing by Alexander Villegas; Editing by Sarah Morland)