On Friday, Alejandro Toledo, the former president of Peru, surrendered himself to US authorities in San Jose, California, in preparation for his extradition to Lima to face charges of corruption and money laundering.
The 77-year-old Toledo, who has been living in the United States for several years, is accused of receiving millions of dollars from Brazilian construction conglomerate Odebrecht in exchange for preferential treatment in public works bidding during his presidency from 2001 to 2006.
ALSO READ: Recent survey reveals that gun violence has impacted the majority of families in the United States
Despite holding a doctorate from Stanford University, Toledo denies all charges, which carry a potential sentence of up to 20 years in prison if he is convicted in Peru. This surrender marks a significant development in a legal saga that began when he was initially detained in California in 2019 and has since been under house arrest and electronic ankle monitoring.
The US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit recently rejected Toledo’s latest attempt to block extradition, leading to the judge’s order for him to surrender.
Toledo is one of several former Peruvian presidents facing corruption investigations, including Ollanta Humala, Pedro Pablo Kuczynski, Martin Vizcarra, and Pedro Castillo. Former President Alberto Fujimori was convicted of corruption and is currently serving a prison sentence, while Alan Garcia died by suicide in 2019 as police were preparing to arrest him in connection with the Odebrecht case.
