If corruption has become in the last decades an endemic disease in Latin America, reaching in fact epidemic rank, the case of Peru is undoubtedly the best example of the transcendence of this "disease".

The recent arrest, in California, of former Peruvian President Alejandro Toledo, to face a petition for extradition to his country for corruption and money laundering, is the last known chapter of a long series, which has brought before the courts all occupiers of the Presidency of the Andean country since 2001. 

Indeed even before 2001, Alberto Fujimori, was condemned to a long sentence, not only for corruption issues but also for his responsibility in the organization and actions of a parapolice group during his long term as president.

Alejandro Toledo faces charges of corruption, bribery and money laundering in his country, due to his relationship with the extensive corruption network established by the powerful Brazilian construction company Odebrecht, which included bribes to numerous politicians in the region (Brazil, Venezuela, Ecuador, Colombia and Peru).

New charges have been added to the initial cause that originated an international arrest warrant issued against him, in 2017. These charges are the results of statements from his front man and friend, the Jewish-Peruvian businessman Josef Maiman (currently in Israel) who after an agreement with the Special Group of the Prosecutor's Office of the Olderbrecht case, declared having received an amount of 36 million dollars to transfer to accounts of Toledo and his wife.

For this last case the prosecution has already requested 18 years and 6 months in prison, both for Toledo and his wife, Eliane Karo.

The case of Alejandro Toledo joins that of former President Ollanta Humala, and his wife Nadine Heredia, both currently in provisional detention for the same Olderbrecht case, against whom the prosecution requests 20 and 26 years prison sentence, respectively.

On the other hand, and within the same network of corruption, the two-time President, Alan García, committed suicide in April of this same year, shortly before being arrested at his home, while former President Pablo Kuczynski is under house arrest, awaiting trial.

The efficient plot of the Brazilian construction company did not limit itself, in the Peruvian case, to buying Presidents but also to extend its influence to other levels, such as the cases of the two candidates to the Presidency, and leader of the opposition, Keiko Fujimori (daughter of the condemned ex-President Alberto Fujimori), who awaits in prison, along with her closest collaborators, a trial for illegal financing of their campaigns with funds provided by the construction company; or that of the former mayor of the capital, Lima, Susana Villarín imprisoned for a similar offense.