Peru ex-president Alejandro Toledo asks for pardon citing serious health issues

Former Peruvian president Alejandro Toledo, who led the country from 2001 to 2006, is serving a 20‑year prison sentence for corruption and an additional 13‑year term for money‑laundering, merged under Peruvian law. In a written statement submitted to the prison in Lima, Toledo’s lawyer Carlos Torres said the 80‑year‑old former leader is requesting a presidential pardon because his health has deteriorated sharply in custody. Doctors have warned he is at imminent risk of a heart attack or stroke.

The request was filed shortly after right‑wing candidate Keiko Fujimori assumed the presidency, and it follows Toledo’s long‑standing opposition to the Fujimori political dynasty. The former head of the “third way” party had been convicted of taking $35 million in bribes from Brazil’s Odebrecht construction firm in exchange for favorable public‑works contracts during his administration.