Peru has seen two of its former presidents receive prison sentences within a two-day period.
On Thursday, former President Pedro Castillo was sentenced to 11 years in prison. The Supreme Court found him guilty of "conspiracy to commit rebellion" for his attempt to dissolve Congress and rule by decree in December 2022. Following this attempt, Castillo was impeached and arrested. The Supreme Court acquitted him of two other charges. Castillo, a former trade unionist and rural schoolteacher, was elected in 2021. His arrest and impeachment in 2022 led to mass protests, which resulted in at least 50 fatalities due to security force actions. Supporters of Castillo were reported gathered outside his detention facility following the verdict.
The day prior, former President MartÃn Vizcarra was sentenced to 14 years in prison. He was convicted of taking bribes during his tenure as governor of the Moquegua region from 2011 to 2014. Prosecutors presented evidence that Vizcarra received over $600,000 from construction companies in exchange for public works contracts. Vizcarra has consistently denied the charges.