The court’s ruling concludes a lengthy trial that has caught national and international attention.
Ollanta Humala Sentenced to 15 Years for Money Laundering in Peru
Ollanta Humala Sentenced to 15 Years for Money Laundering in Peru
Former president of Peru implicated in Odebrecht scandal, alongside his wife.
Peru's former president, Ollanta Humala, has been convicted of money laundering and will spend 15 years in prison, according to a ruling from a court in Lima. The verdict, delivered earlier today, stems from Humala's acceptance of illicit funds from the Brazilian construction giant Odebrecht to finance his electoral campaigns in both 2006 and 2011. His spouse, Nadine Heredia, who helped establish the Nationalist Party with him, also received a similar sentence for her involvement in the case.
The prosecution had requested harsher penalties, proposing 20 years for Humala and 26.5 years for Heredia. The couple attended the court proceedings, with Humala present in the courtroom while Heredia appeared via video link. Throughout the trial, spanning over three years, both defendants maintained their innocence against the allegations.
Ollanta Humala rose to prominence in Peru in 2000 during a brief military uprising targeting then-President Alberto Fujimori. His first presidential run in 2006 was marked by controversy as he was accused of accepting illegal funds from late Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez. Humala later shifted strategies in his 2011 election run, distancing himself from Chávez and adopting policies akin to those of Brazil's Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, ultimately leading to his election victory over right-wing opponent Keiko Fujimori.
Despite a promising start, his presidency faced early challenges from violent social conflicts and dwindling Congressional support, culminating in legal difficulties following his departure from office in 2016. The scandal involving Odebrecht, which admitted to bribery across Latin America, implicated Humala and his wife in accepting millions in bribes, leading to their respective arrests and a year spent in pre-trial detention before these recent convictions.
The prosecution had requested harsher penalties, proposing 20 years for Humala and 26.5 years for Heredia. The couple attended the court proceedings, with Humala present in the courtroom while Heredia appeared via video link. Throughout the trial, spanning over three years, both defendants maintained their innocence against the allegations.
Ollanta Humala rose to prominence in Peru in 2000 during a brief military uprising targeting then-President Alberto Fujimori. His first presidential run in 2006 was marked by controversy as he was accused of accepting illegal funds from late Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez. Humala later shifted strategies in his 2011 election run, distancing himself from Chávez and adopting policies akin to those of Brazil's Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, ultimately leading to his election victory over right-wing opponent Keiko Fujimori.
Despite a promising start, his presidency faced early challenges from violent social conflicts and dwindling Congressional support, culminating in legal difficulties following his departure from office in 2016. The scandal involving Odebrecht, which admitted to bribery across Latin America, implicated Humala and his wife in accepting millions in bribes, leading to their respective arrests and a year spent in pre-trial detention before these recent convictions.
