Edwin Oviedo, the former president of the Peruvian Football Federation, has been acquitted of murder charges in a long-running legal battle that has captivated the nation. The Supreme Court in the northern region of La Libertad delivered its verdict on Thursday, clearing Oviedo of accusations that he orchestrated the killings of two union leaders.

Oviedo’s lawyer, César Nakazaki, announced the court’s decision to the media, stating, “Edwin Oviedo’s innocence has been proven, and the court decided to acquit him after verifying that the prosecution did not present sufficient evidence.”

The case against Oviedo, which has spanned several years, centred on allegations that he ordered the assassination of two union members employed by a sugar company under his control. The two men were fatally shot in 2012 and 2015, events that prosecutors linked directly to Oviedo in what they described as retaliatory attacks for protests against his management.

In 2019, the public prosecutor had called for a 52-year prison sentence for Oviedo, who, throughout the legal proceedings, steadfastly maintained his innocence. The severity of the charges had significant repercussions on Oviedo’s career, culminating in his resignation from the presidency of the Peruvian Football Federation in December 2018, as the case against him intensified.

Oviedo’s legal troubles also saw him spend 18 months in pretrial detention, followed by a year and a half under house arrest. During this time, prosecutors painted him as the leader of a “corruption network” and the mastermind behind the killings, accusations that Oviedo has consistently denied.

Despite the controversy surrounding him, Oviedo’s tenure as head of the Football Federation from 2015 to 2018 was marked by significant success for Peruvian football, most notably the national team’s qualification for the World Cup in 2018, their first in 36 years.

The Supreme Court’s ruling brings a dramatic conclusion to a case that has loomed over Peruvian football and politics for nearly a decade. Oviedo, who has always claimed his innocence, can now put this chapter behind him, as the court’s decision reinforces his stance that the prosecution’s evidence was insufficient to secure a conviction.

This acquittal marks a significant moment in Peru’s legal and sports history, as one of its most controversial figures is now officially cleared of the charges that once threatened to end his career and his freedom.