2025 concludes with the former presidents sentenced, Martin Vizcarra, Pedro Castillo and Ollanta Humala; the ex-president Dina Boluarte, facing a series of investigations; and the presidential candidate Keiko Fujimoriunder investigation for the case Washing machine. However, they still do not have a final point: those convicted appealed their sentences; while Boluarte and Fujimori will continue to be investigated.
The first case is that of Humala, who was sentenced in the first instance in April of this year to 15 years in prison for the Lava Jato case, after being found guilty of the crime of money laundering. He Judiciary determined that it was proven that the former head of state and the former first lady Nadine Heredia received illicit money from both the Brazilian construction company Odebrecht as well as the Venezuelan government of Hugo Chavezintended to finance the 2006 and 2011 presidential campaigns for a total of US$ 3 million.
The case of the former presidential couple set a precedent, becoming the first to be sentenced for illicit financing received in electoral campaigns.
After the conviction, the former couple’s legal defense appealed the decision, so the Criminal Appeals Chamber will be in charge of reviewing the first instance ruling. Although an exact date has not yet been set for the evaluation of the appeal, the hearing is expected to take place in the course of 2026.
However, the case could face a setback due to the ruling of the Constitutional Court (TC) of last October that benefits the leader of Fuerza Popular, Keiko Fujimori, in which she declared that the illegal contributions received before November 2016 do not constitute the crime of money laundering, as they were not classified as such in the Peruvian legislation in force in that period.
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In that sense, the TC ordered the archiving of the investigation against Fujimori Higuchi. In this regard, Humala Tasso spoke out and considered that “it will be legally impossible for the Judiciary to release Fuerza Popular and keep our case active.” In short, the former president demanded that the TC’s decision be applied to his case.
When asked about this issue, the coordinator of the Lava Jato Special Team, Rafael Vela, told this newspaper that the Public Ministry “has always been emphatic and now with judicial support, that these events have always been a crime and have ended in a sentence as in the case of Humala.” Likewise, he assured that the Prosecutor’s Office will defend his accusation in the second instance.
“We know that the strength of the evidence is what precisely determines the investigation and favors the investigation of the truth,” he said.
On the other hand, the former president will also face another investigation. In November, the Prosecutor’s Office formalized the investigation within the framework of the Madre Mía case, in which the former president is investigated for the alleged crimes of qualified homicide and forced disappearance, in the context of crimes against humanity that were allegedly committed in 1992.
But not only that. In June, the Public Ministry presented the accusation against the former presidential couple for the Gasoducto Sur Peruano case. In this case, a prison sentence of 35 years was requested for Humala and Heredia for the alleged crimes of illicit association to commit a crime and money laundering.
Investigation against Keiko Fujimori
As already mentioned, the leader is investigated for the Cocktails case. The Judiciary must decide whether to file the case or not after the decision of the TC. If this is the case, the Prosecutor’s Office could appeal said decision and vice versa with the legal defense of Fujimori Higuchi.
However, there is another tax file open against her. The Public Ministry is investigating her, along with her vice presidential candidates Miguel Torres Morales and Luis Galarreta, as well as the national undersecretary and former congresswoman Karina Beteta, among others, for the alleged crime of money laundering in the framework of the Lavamoto case.
According to the thesis of prosecutor Manuela Villar, more than S/1,000,000 of allegedly illicit origin would have been collected to finance 1,384 challenge fees against the votes of former president Pedro Castillo during the second round of the 2021 General Elections.
These funds of money were supposedly delivered “without bank traceability, through sealed envelopes and through motorized agents,” according to the tax document.
When taking statements to collect evidence for the investigation, various alleged contributors denied having contributed to the financing of the challenge fees for a total of S/38,500.
On the other hand, citizens who are registered as taxpayers would not have the economic capacity to support their contributions. There are cases for S/27,350.
Meanwhile, Fujimori Higuchi decided to remain silent at the time of his statement in this case.
Pedro Castillo
In the case of former president Pedro Castillo it is different. He is sentenced in the first instance to 11 years, 5 months and 15 days for the crime of conspiracy to rebel for his attempted coup d’état in December 2022.
In this context, the former president filed an appeal to reverse his legal situation and be released. In 2026, his appeal to annul his sentence will be evaluated in the Criminal Appeals Chamber.
On the other hand, Castillo also faces another investigation into the Puente Tarata case for alleged crimes against public administration and influence peddling. The investigation also involves the former Minister of Housing, Construction and Sanitation, Geiner Alvarado.
According to the fiscal thesis, Castillo and former officials of his government would allegedly be part of a criminal organization to award public works contracts through illegal routing.
Martín Vizcarra Case
Martín Vizcarra, former president sentenced to 14 years in prison for the crime of bribery in the context of the Lomas de Ilo and Hospital de Moquegua cases. The Judicial Branch determined that it was proven that Vizcarra received S/2.3 million in bribes to grant the approval of the aforementioned projects to the construction companies Obrainsa and ICCGSA.
After being convicted, the former president filed an appeal to reverse his legal situation and leave the Barbadillo prison. The judicial system allowed his appeal; However, it has not set a date to evaluate the appeal. If this is the case, the appeal would be analyzed in 2026.
In parallel, for the same cases, the Public Ministry is investigating Vizcarra for the alleged crime of collusion. That is, for having allegedly agreed with other people to defraud the State for the awarding of the constructions of Lomas de Ilo and Hospital de Moquegua.
For these two cases, the Prosecutor’s Office has requested 10 years in prison for the former president.
On the other hand, the former head of state is being investigated for the “Untouchables of Corruption” case. According to the fiscal thesis, Vizcarra would have integrated this alleged criminal organization with the purpose of allegedly placing officials in strategic positions such as Provías and the MTC to collect bribes in tenders for the Samegua, Tintay and Pampas projects.
Susana Villaran
Currently, the former mayor of Lima, Susana Villarán, faces an oral trial for the alleged crime of money laundering, generic falsehood, bribery, collusion and illicit association to commit a crime within the framework of the investigations into the Odebrecht and OAS case.
The Public Ministry accuses her of having received alleged illicit contributions from Brazilian construction companies for US$ 11 million for her ‘No’ campaigns for the recall (2013) and re-election (2014) in exchange for the awards of the Rutas de Lima and Línea Amarrilla road projects.
In the judicial process, 378 witnesses will appear to give their statements before the court, including former congressmen, singers, actors and the former superintendent of Odebrecht in Peru, Jorge Barata.
In this case, the Prosecutor’s Office asked the Judiciary to impose a custodial sentence of 29 years.
The oral trial hearings will continue almost all of 2026. It is estimated that the process will last approximately 3 years because only two weekly sessions are held.
Dina Boluarte
Former President Dina Boluarte continues with a series of investigations against her that are still in the preliminary phase and that, in 2026, could move to another part of the process.
The Prosecutor’s Office is investigating her for the more than 50 deaths in protests during the beginning of her government between December 2022 and February 2023 for the alleged crimes of qualified homicide and serious injuries. However, regarding this case, in the Permanent Commission of Congress, in September of this year, the constitutional complaint against the former head of state was filed.
On the other hand, the former president is being investigated in the Rolexgate case for the alleged crime of illicit enrichment. The Public Ministry is investigating that Boluarte would have received watches from the regional governor of Ayacucho after emergency decrees and supreme decrees were issued that supposedly favored the region.
Meanwhile, another tax file was opened against Boluarte for the alleged crimes of omission of office and abandonment of duties in the Surgery case. The former president underwent surgery in June 2023, which would have forced her to be absent from her duties for more than 10 days.
In this case, the Supreme Court rejected the request of the Prosecutor’s Office to prevent the former head of state from leaving the country for 18 months.
In parallel, another request to prevent departure was also rejected, but for the Los Dinmáticos del Centro case for the alleged crime of money laundering.
