On Thursday, the Special Criminal Chamber of Peru’s Supreme Court issued a sentence against former Prime Minister César Villanueva, finding him guilty of influence peddling, a crime against public administration. The sentence imposes four years of effective imprisonment and a five-year ban from holding public office.
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The court determined that Villanueva, who served as president of the Amazonian region of San Martín between 2007 and 2013 and as prime minister during the government of Ollanta Humala (2011-2016), contacted two prosecutors in 2019 to expedite an investigation against him for alleged illicit payments from the Brazilian construction company Odebrecht.
The court specified that the sentence will be carried out once it is upheld on appeal. It was also established that Villanueva received the minimum sentence allowed for this type of crime, which carries a maximum of eight years in prison, because he has no prior criminal record, strong ties to the community, and demonstrated a willingness to cooperate with the legal process.
In the same case, former senior prosecutor Alberto Rossel was sentenced to six years in prison, former provincial prosecutor Ronald Chafloque to four years, and businessman José Santisteban Zurita to three years.
Following the reading of the sentence, the Public Prosecutor’s Office and the Attorney General’s Office expressed their satisfaction with the court’s decision. For their part, the defendants’ lawyers announced they will appeal every aspect of the case.
Efectivamente ese caso estuvo escondido en Lima, viajé lo encontré y lo publiqué en EC. https://t.co/eL9r8Gm21l
— Carlos Neyra (@cafeneci) June 25, 2026
The, text reads, “Indeed, that case was hidden in Lima. I traveled to Lima, found out what I found, and published it in EC. Quote. Recutecu Media @RecutecuMedia. Vizcarra’s former prime minister, César Villanueva, has been sentenced in a case linked to the corrupt company Odebrecht (now Novonor). Why has this gone unnoticed? What forces are trying to hide that government’s ties to Odebrecht? We cannot let this go unpunished.”
Context of the Lava Jato Case
The investigation against Villanueva is part of the Lava Jato scandal that erupted in Brazil in 2014, revealing a vast network of corruption and bribery involving the state-owned oil company Petrobras and several high-profile corporations, including Odebrecht.
In July 2015, criminal charges were filed against Odebrecht’s president, Marcelo Odebrecht, who was sentenced to 19 years in prison in March 2016. During this period, the company continued to participate in bidding processes and obtain contracts in Panama.
In December of that same year, Odebrecht signed a cooperation agreement with the authorities, and the United States released documents detailing $788 million in bribes paid in Latin America and Africa.
The case began in Panama in 2016, almost a decade ago. Currently, the file consists of 2,973 documents. volumes, in addition to any materials the defense may present, and has the support of 146 international legal assistance agreements.
To date, dozens of people have been sentenced in this case. Millions of dollars have been recovered, and several people remain incarcerated.
#Peru | Lawmaker Roberto Sanchez makes a powerful statement against the institutional violations threatening the country. In coherence with the democratic mandate given by over 9 million citizens, he rejects any illegitimacy and vows to defend the people’s rights.… pic.twitter.com/3kLFq0RSz4
— teleSUR English (@telesurenglish) June 23, 2026
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