Brazil and Latin America
How the Lava Jato and Odebrecht cases actually ended
Convictions, appeals, annulments and acquittals for 22 people in 6 countries. Many early convictions were later overturned, so each case is traced stage by stage to where it stands today.
Brazil
Antonio PalocciFormer finance minister of BrazilAs of August 2025 the Lava Jato acts against Palocci, including his 12-year conviction, had been annulled and the annulment was upheld by the STF Second Panel, while his plea agreement remained valid.Geddel Vieira LimaBrazilian politicianAs of August 2021 Geddel's money laundering conviction stood with a reduced sentence of 13 years and 4 months, and his later custody status is not confirmed here.José DirceuFormer minister in the federal governmentAs of late October 2024 Dirceu's Lava Jato convictions had been annulled by Justice Gilmar Mendes, with two appeals still pending at the STJ according to InfoMoney.Luiz Inácio Lula da SilvaPresident of Brazil (2003 to 2010, and from 2023)No Lava Jato conviction stands against Lula. His convictions were annulled by the STF in 2021, and the triplex and Atibaia cases were later declared time-barred by a Federal District court, with the triplex case archived on 27 January 2022.Marcelo OdebrechtFormer executive of the Odebrecht groupAs of May 2024 all acts of the 13th Federal Court of Curitiba against Marcelo Odebrecht had been annulled by Justice Dias Toffoli, while his plea agreement, whose sentence he completed in April 2023, remained in force.Michel TemerFormer president of BrazilAs of February 2022 Temer had been acquitted in this Operation Radioatividade case, and the status of his other cases is not covered by this record.Paulo Roberto CostaFormer supply director of PetrobrasPaulo Roberto Costa died on 13 August 2022.Sérgio CabralFormer governor of Rio de Janeiro stateAs of November 2025 Cabral was free with no final conviction, while other convictions and cases remained under appeal or pending, according to the cited sources. Correio Braziliense reported in October 2024 that a second-instance conviction made him ineligible under the Ficha Limpa law.
Peru
Alan GarcíaFormer president of PeruAlan García died on 17 April 2019 and was never tried.Alejandro ToledoFormer president of PeruAs of September 2025 Toledo was serving the 20 year 6 month Interoceánica sentence, with the Ecoteva sentence added and neither conviction confirmed on appeal according to La República.Keiko FujimoriPeruvian politician (Fuerza Popular), proclaimed winner of the 2026 presidential election by Peru's electoral authority (JNE) on 3 July 2026As of June 2026 the money laundering and criminal organisation case against Keiko Fujimori (Cócteles) had been definitively dismissed, and the appeals court had upheld the dismissal. She was proclaimed winner of the 2026 presidential election on 3 July 2026.Nadine HerediaFormer first lady of PeruAs of 13 August 2026 Heredia's 15-year money laundering conviction had been annulled and the case definitively archived, with the arrest orders against her lifted. Panamericana reported that her asylum in Brazil remained in effect and that she still faced a separate investigation in the Gasoducto Sur Peruano case.Ollanta HumalaFormer president of PeruAs of August 2026 Humala was free after the Constitutional Court annulled the criminal proceeding and his 15-year money laundering conviction in July 2026.Pedro Pablo KuczynskiFormer president of PeruAs of September 2025 Kuczynski was awaiting oral trial and had not been convicted, with his lawyer saying the trial could be delayed to 2026.
Dominican Republic
Andrés BautistaFormer president of the Dominican SenateBautista was acquitted at trial in October 2021, and the acquittal stood after the Public Ministry did not appeal, according to El Día and El Nuevo Diario in January 2022.Víctor Díaz RúaFormer minister of public works of the Dominican RepublicAs of May 2023 Díaz Rúa's 5-year conviction had been upheld on appeal, he remained free while the case continued, and he said he would go to higher courts.Ángel Rondón RijoDominican businessmanAs of December 2023 Rondón's 8-year conviction had been upheld on appeal and he had filed a cassation appeal. Diario Libre reported in May 2023 that he remained free while the case continued.
Panama
Luis Enrique Martinelli LinaresSon of former Panamanian president Ricardo MartinelliEFE reported in January 2026 that he had already served prison time in the United States. He faced a second Odebrecht trial in Panama, which La Prensa reported to be at the evidence-admission stage in 2026.Ricardo Alberto Martinelli LinaresSon of former Panamanian president Ricardo MartinelliEFE reported in January 2026 that he had already served prison time in the United States. He faced a second Odebrecht trial in Panama, which La Prensa reported to be at the evidence-admission stage in 2026.Ricardo MartinelliFormer president of PanamaAs of 22 July 2026 Martinelli was a defendant in Panama's Odebrecht money laundering trial awaiting the verdict, and he had not been convicted in this case. EFE reported in January 2026 that he was living in Colombia under asylum.