After a conviction related to a major corruption scandal, former President Ollanta Humala and his wife Nadine Heredia have fled to the Brazilian Embassy seeking asylum. Both were sentenced to 15 years in prison for money laundering linked to illegal campaign funding, marking a significant chapter in Peru’s ongoing battle against corruption.
Former Peruvian President and First Lady Sentenced for Corruption, Exiled to Brazilian Embassy
Former Peruvian President and First Lady Sentenced for Corruption, Exiled to Brazilian Embassy
In a historic ruling, Ollanta Humala and Nadine Heredia, the former presidential couple of Peru, received 15-year prison sentences for laundering money from a scandal-ridden construction firm.
In a striking turn of events for the political landscape of Peru, former President Ollanta Humala and his spouse, ex-First Lady Nadine Heredia, sought refuge in the Brazilian Embassy on Tuesday following a guilty verdict that sentenced them to 15 years in prison for money laundering. This case marks yet another instance of corruption within the country's political echelons, as Humala becomes the third former president to be imprisoned on similar charges in just two decades.
The couple was found guilty of illicitly financing Humala's presidential campaign with nearly $3 million from Odebrecht, a Brazilian construction company mired in widespread bribery scandals across Latin America. The funds were allegedly used to secure victories in his 2011 campaign, and they were also implicated in receiving substantial sums from Venezuela's government under Hugo Chávez during an earlier campaign.
Despite the convictions, both Humala and Heredia have consistently denied any wrongdoing, asserting that their actions were lawful and transparent. The situation, however, highlights the entrenched issues of corruption that have plagued Peruvian politics, prompting action from the state to address the widespread malfeasance. Over the last two decades, a striking number of former presidents—six in total—have faced various judicial consequences for corruption-related offenses.
On the day of the sentencing, 62-year-old Humala was escorted out by police from the courtroom, while Heredia was absent from the proceedings, leading to her subsequent dash to the Brazilian Embassy to seek diplomatic asylum. This incident underscores the complexity of Peru's political crisis as it grapples with the ongoing fallout from entrenched corruption and public disillusionment regarding the integrity of its leaders.
