PERU · JUSTICE
Key Facts
- The country Peru, a US free-trade partner and major gold and copper exporter, is led by conservative President Keiko Fujimori.
- What happened Former TV host Andrés Hurtado argued before a Supreme Court judge on Wednesday 14 October for an end to his pretrial detention.
- The case Prosecutors accuse him of brokering the alleged irregular return of 100 kilos of seized gold in exchange for a commission.
- What prosecutors seek Thirty years in prison for influence peddling and bribery, under an indictment that has already been filed.
- Power Index Peru ranks 5th of 14 in The Rio Times Latin America Power Index, with 54.7 points (October 2026 edition).
- Still open When the judge will rule, and whether Hurtado leaves the Lurigancho prison in Lima.
A jailed TV host in Peru asked a Supreme Court judge on Wednesday 14 October to free him while his corruption case goes on. Andrés Hurtado, known as “Chibolín”, has been held in Lima since 2024 in a bribery case over 100 kilos of seized gold.
The case reaches into Peru’s justice system itself, since a senior prosecutor is a co-defendant, and prosecutors want 30 years in prison for him. Judge Juan Carlos Checkley said he would announce his decision within the legal deadline.
Who Andrés Hurtado Is
Hurtado hosted “Porque hoy es sábado con Andrés”, a Saturday variety show on Panamericana Televisión, until his arrest in 2024. His defence says he was in a clinic awaiting surgery when he was detained, not trying to flee.
The jailed TV host has been held at the Lurigancho prison in Lima since 2024, after a court first ordered 18 months of pretrial detention. In March 2026 the judiciary extended that term by another 18 months.
The Gold at the Heart of the Case
Prosecutors allege that Hurtado acted as a go-between for businessman Javier Miu Lei and Elizabeth Peralta, then a senior prosecutor. The deal, they say, was the irregular return of 100 kilos of gold seized from his company in 2020, for a commission.
The charges are influence peddling and both active and passive bribery. Peralta is a co-defendant in the same case, and prosecutors seek 24 years in prison for her.
What Hurtado Told the Judge
The hearing ran by videoconference and was broadcast on Justicia TV, the channel of Peru’s judiciary. The jailed TV host told Checkley, who handles pretrial matters at the Supreme Court, that he is the only financial support of his 10-year-old daughter.
“Imagine the two years I have been in here, how can she survive?” he asked the judge, RPP reported. He also accused prosecutors of staging a “circus” before his arrest by making it look as if he had fled the country.
Why the Defence Says the Detention Should End
His lawyer argued that the investigation is over and that the formal indictment has been filed. With no evidence left to gather, he said, the reasons used to extend the detention no longer apply.
The defence also presented a notarised promise of a job as head of production, marketing and advertising for a company’s shows. It added that Hurtado has a known home in Lima’s Surco district, which in its view rules out any risk of flight.
Prosecutors Attack the Job Offer
Prosecutor William Rabanal Palacios said that, according to Sunat, the tax and customs agency, the company is a building contractor with very few staff. He asked the judge to reject Hurtado’s request, RPP reported.
Rabanal added that the businessman behind the offer has faced criminal complaints since 2006, Infobae Perú reported. Hurtado defended him in court as a well-known circus promoter he had worked for before.
What It Means for You
For investors and visitors, the jailed TV host’s case is a test of how Peru’s courts handle alleged corruption inside the justice system itself. The gold at its centre links it to one of Peru’s main export trades.
A release would not end the case, since prosecutors have already filed the indictment. Hurtado also faces a separate money-laundering case, with a hearing on a new detention request set for Thursday 5 November in Lima.
What Is Not Known
Checkley gave no date for his ruling on the jailed TV host’s request. It is also not known when a trial will open.
In the money-laundering case, prosecutors are asking for eight months of pretrial detention. Hurtado is presumed innocent in every case until a court rules otherwise.
More: Peru news in English, every day from The Rio Times.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is the jailed TV host Andrés Hurtado?
He is a former Peruvian TV host known as “Chibolín”, who presented a Saturday variety show on Panamericana Televisión until 2024. He has been held in pretrial detention in Lima since that year.
What is he accused of?
Prosecutors accuse him of influence peddling and bribery over the alleged irregular return of 100 kilos of seized gold. They seek 30 years in prison.
Did the judge free him?
Not yet, because Supreme Court judge Juan Carlos Checkley said he would rule within the legal deadline. No date was given at the hearing on Wednesday 14 October.
What is pretrial detention in Peru?
It is jail ordered before a verdict, when judges see a risk that a suspect could flee or obstruct the case. It does not mean the person has been found guilty.
Sources: RPP, Hurtado reappears in hearing and asks to lift pretrial detention, 14 October 2026; Infobae Perú, judiciary reviews Hurtado’s request to leave prison, 14 October 2026; Infobae Perú, prosecutor on the businessman offering Hurtado a job, 14 October 2026; La República, Hurtado asks for his release from prison, 14 October 2026; Trome, Hurtado tells the judge he never tried to flee, 14 October 2026; RPP, Hurtado asks the judiciary to end his pretrial detention, 8 October 2026.
Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief · Editorial standards · Report an error
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