Ollanta Humala, the former president of Peru, has been sentenced to 15 years in prison for money laundering. A court in Lima found him guilty of accepting illegal funds to support his presidential campaigns in 2006 and 2011. The funds came from Hugo Chávez, the former president of Venezuela, and the Brazilian construction giant Odebrecht.
Humala’s lawyer announced plans to appeal the conviction. His wife, Nadine Heredia, also received a 15-year sentence for her role in the money laundering scheme. However, she was not present in court. Instead, she sought asylum in the Brazilian embassy before an arrest warrant could be executed. Brazil has granted her and their son safe passage to the country.
Following the verdict, Humala, who is 62 years old, was taken to Barbadillo prison, where he joins other former leaders facing legal issues related to the Odebrecht scandal. This case has implicated multiple former presidents in Peru, raising serious concerns about corruption in the country’s political landscape.
Prosecutors accused Humala and Heredia of accepting about $3 million from Odebrecht to finance Humala’s 2011 campaign, along with an additional $200,000 from Chávez for the 2006 campaign. The couple has consistently claimed they are victims of political persecution. Humala’s lawyer described the 15-year sentence as excessive, especially since prosecutors had requested even longer sentences.
Humala’s political career began when he led a military rebellion against former president Alberto Fujimori in 2000. He later ran for president in 2006 but lost to Alan García. In 2011, he won the presidency with a more moderate campaign, but his popularity waned due to social conflicts during his term. His legal troubles began shortly after he left office in 2016 when Odebrecht admitted to bribing officials across Latin America.
The Odebrecht scandal has cast a long shadow over Peruvian politics, leading to ongoing investigations and legal actions against several former leaders. As the situation develops, it remains to be seen how this will affect the political climate in Peru and whether justice will be served for the victims of corruption.