César Acuña sentenced to a suspended year‑and‑a‑half prison term

Former La Libertad regional governor and ex‑presidential candidate César Acuña Peralta was sentenced by the Penal Unipersonal Court of La Libertad to one year and six months of suspended imprisonment for violating labor freedom. The conviction stems from his failure to pay a court‑ordered labor debt of 88,525 soles to the heirs of a deceased teacher, Flor de María Saldaña Plasencia. The court reduced the original two‑year term because Acuña has no prior criminal record and was over 65 years old at the time of the offense.

The suspended sentence includes strict conduct conditions: Acuña may not change residence without judicial permission, must not commit a similar crime, must report to the control office every 30 days, and must pay a total of 97,377 soles (the original debt plus 8,852 soles in civil reparations) to the teacher’s son, Luis Novoa Saldaña.

Acuña’s party, Alianza para el Progreso, is experiencing an internal crisis following the ruling. Acuña has publicly denounced the judicial process, alleging violations of his right to defense and due process, and has filed complaints against the judges and prosecutor involved while appealing the decision.