Peru Former Pres. Alejandro Toledo To Be Extradited and Face Corruption Charges

Peru's attorney general announced that former Peru President Alejandro Toledo will return to his home country after the United States agreed to his extradition.

Toledo is facing corruption charges in Peru, with officials alleging that he negotiated bribes of up to $20 million with Brazilian construction magnate Odebrecht, as reported by Voice of America News.

In 2019, Toledo was arrested in the United States after Peru formally requested his extradition.

The head of the attorney general's extradition office, Alfredo Rebaza, noted that they do not have a set deadline for the extradition at the moment.

Rebaza clarified that it is unlikely to take months, with logistics for the extradition now starting with Interpol and U.S. officials, according to Reuters.

Meanwhile, the former president of Peru has denied soliciting or receiving bribes and has not been criminally charged in the United States.

Toledo resided in California as of August 2022 after he was released from prison on bail in 2020.

Peru's Alejandro Toledo

The corruption charges Toledo is tied with his granting of a billion-dollar-plus contract to build a highway between Brazil and Peru.

The investigation on Toledo's source of family wealth started in 2013, with allegations that it was ill-gotten but remained unproven years later.

In the late 1990s, he was also reported to have been involved in infidelity, immoral behavior, and cocaine use.

His presidency was highlighted by the growth of the Peruvian economy and inflation nearly disappearing. However, unemployment decreased only slightly.

Many of his supporters also blamed him for not doing enough to create more jobs despite his campaign promise.

Toledo was also criticized for spending too lavishly and granting himself the highest salary of any Latin American leader at the time.

Peru Political Climate

Dina Boluarte is the current president of Peru amid the rising political tension in the country.

On her first day of presidency, she called for a "political truce" with Congress after her predecessor Pedro Castillo was impeached in December, sparking a widespread protest across the nation.

Protesters say they will not stop until Boluarte steps down and early elections are put forward.

Castillo was impeached after he attempted to temporarily suspend Congress in an effort to divert his impeachment for "moral incapacity," which is a charge rooted in several corruption allegations.

He announced that he would rule by decree under emergency powers and called for new elections.

Castillo then sought asylum in the Mexican embassy but was detained and later charged with rebellion.

Meanwhile, Boluarte was then sworn in as his replacement while Castillo was transported to Barbadillo prison in a police base on the outskirts of Lima.

Mayor of Juliaca, Oscar Caceres, said that the trust in the government has been lost, with people's problems not being solved.

Peru protests have also installed roadblocks, which have inflated the prices of basic goods in the country.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Mary Webber

WATCH: Alejandro Toledo: Fiscalía de la Nación informó que Estados Unidos concedió la extradición - from RPP Noticias