Peru sentences former President Vizcarra to 14 years in prison for corruption

LIMA, Peru (AP) — A Peruvian court on Wednesday sentenced former President Martín Vizcarra to 14 years in prison after finding him guilty of taking bribes while serving as governor of a southern state.

Vizcarra was sentenced to immediate imprisonment and a nine-year ban from public office. He is expected to appeal the decision.

“This is not justice, it is revenge,” Vizcarra said on social media. “But they will not break me.”

Vizcarra alleged his sentence was retribution for “standing up” to the right-wing political groups that control Congress, among which the influence of the late former President Alberto Fujimori is particularly prominent. Vizcarra clashed with these groups when he led the South American country between 2018 and 2020 and eventually dissolved Congress.

The criminal court in the capital, Lima, concluded that Vizcarra received illegal payments from companies in exchange for awarding them contracts for two major projects — an irrigation system and the construction of a hospital — during his time as governor of Moquegua.

Authorities accused Vizcarra of receiving approximately $611,000 in bribes from construction companies.

Prosecutors had requested a 15-year prison sentence.

The former president's brother, Mario Vizcarra, is seeking Peru's presidency.

Former Peruvian Presidents Alejandro Toledo, Ollanta Humala and Pedro Castillo are also in prison. Fujimori was imprisoned for more than 15 years. He was released in 2023 and died the following year at the age of 86.

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Former President Martin Vizcarra, who faces corruption charges, arrives for a sentence hearing in Lima, Peru, Wednesday, Nov. 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Guadalupe Pardo)

Supporters of former President Martin Vizcarra, who faces corruption charges, carry a banner featuring Vizcarra as they gather outside a courtroom in Lima, Peru, Wednesday, Nov. 26, 2025.(AP Photo/Martin Mejia)

Former President Martin Vizcarra, who faces corruption charges, smiles as he arrives for a sentence hearing in Lima, Peru, Wednesday, Nov. 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Guadalupe Pardo)

Former President Martin Vizcarra, who faces corruption charges, waves as he arrives for a sentence hearing, in Lima, Peru, Wednesday, Nov. 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Martin Mejia)

Former President Martin Vizcarra, who faces corruption charges, waves as he arrives for a sentence hearing, in Lima, Peru, Wednesday, Nov. 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Martin Mejia)

YEREVAN, Armenia (AP) — Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan early Monday claimed victory in the country’s general election, as preliminary results showed his governing Civil Contract party came first with 49.81% of the vote.

Pashinyan and the governing Civil Contract party are looking for a strong mandate for a new geopolitical course for Armenia, including distancing the South Caucasus country from Moscow and seeking to join the European Union.

His main opponent, Samvel Karapetyan, is a billionaire who made his fortune in Russia and is under house arrest for allegedly advocating for the government’s overthrow. Karapetyan, whose Strong Armenia bloc was the runner-up with 23.29% of the vote, has rejected the charge as politically motivated.

According to Armenia’s Central Election Commission, four parties polled above the 4% electoral threshold and will enter parliament following Sunday’s election, including some that are vocally pro-Russia.

Karapetyan's Strong Armenia party seeks to develop business ties with Russia and has accused Pashinyan of attempting to start a war with the Kremlin.

Two other parties, Armenia and Blossoming Armenia, also made it into parliament with 9.94% and 4% of votes, respectively. According to the election commission, turnout stood at 59.97%.

Before the results came in, Pashinyan spoke to journalists at his headquarters, claiming his party won the elections with a record result and would form the government on its own.

Top EU officials congratulated Pashinyan following the tightly contested race, seen in Europe as a litmus test of Russia’s influence in the former Soviet republic.

“The spirit of the Velvet Revolution you led in 2018 is alive and well,” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Monday in a social media post, referring to the mass protests sparked by Pashinyan's activism that unseated Armenia's former Prime Minister Serzh Sargsyan.

“We deeply value our partnership with a democratic Armenia that is drawing ever closer to Europe. Armenia can count on us," von der Leyen added.

European Council President António Costa also congratulated Pashinyan. In a post on X, Costa talked about a greater role for the EU in Armenia and the broader South Caucasus region, which bridges Europe's hungry energy markets and Central Asia's gas fields.

“Together, the EU and Armenia are building stronger links between people and creating new opportunities in energy, trade, and digitalization. Our strong partnership is an investment in a more peaceful and prosperous future for the region as a whole," he said.

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AP writer Sam McNeil contributed from Brussels.

Correction: An earlier version of this story wrongly stated that turnout in Armenia's general election on Sunday stood at 97%. The correct figure is 59.97%.

Russian-Armenian tycoon Samvel Karapetyan speaks to the media after voting at a polling station during a parliamentary election in Yerevan, Armenia, Sunday, June 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Anthony Pizzoferrato)

A member of an election commission prepares the ballots while waiting for voters at a polling station, during a parliamentary election in Yerevan, Armenia, Sunday, June 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Anthony Pizzoferrato)

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan speaks to journalists after voting at a polling station during the parliamentary election in Yerevan, Armenia, Sunday, June 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Anthony Pizzoferrato)

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan speaks at his Armenia Ruling Civil Contract party headquarters after parliamentary elections in Yerevan, Armenia, Monday, June 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Anthony Pizzoferrato)