In a landmark ruling, Ollanta Humala, the former President of Peru, and his wife Nadine Heredia have been sentenced to 15 years in prison for money laundering related to unlawful campaign finances.
The BBC reported that both were found guilty of accepting illicit funds to bolster their election campaigns from foreign sources.
Ollanta Humala, who led Peru from 2011 to 2016, faced serious allegations that he had illegally received money to fund both his 2006 and 2011 presidential campaigns. Specified sources included Venezuelan leader Hugo Chávez and the scandal-ridden Brazilian construction firm Odebrecht.
These charges led to a substantial trial in Lima, where Judge Nayko Coronado ultimately sentenced both Humala and his co-founder, Nationalist Party colleague and spouse, Nadine Heredia, to 15 years behind bars.
Immediately following the sentencing, Humala was taken into custody and transported to Barbadillo prison, signaling the start of his sentence.
Nadine Heredia, unlike her husband, was not present in court for the sentencing. Before the trial's conclusion, she sought asylum at the Brazilian embassy, reportedly fearing for her safety and claiming political persecution.
The Brazilian government granted Heredia asylum, and in a landmark agreement with Peru, assured her and her son safe passage to Brazil. Her attorney later confirmed that her immediate travel plans included moving to São Paulo from Brasília.
While the court's decision was a severe blow to both Humala and Heredia, it also marked a significant moment in Peru's ongoing crackdown on political corruption linked to the infamous Odebrecht scandal.
Odebrecht, a giant Brazilian construction company, has been at the center of one of the largest corruption scandals in Latin America.
It admitted to paying nearly $800 million in bribes in several countries to secure contracts. The implications of their actions have rocked the political landscape across several Latin American countries, including Peru.
Humala is notably the first of four former Peruvian presidents who were investigated in relation to these bribes. Other leaders, like Alejandro Toledo and Pedro Castillo, face similar accusations and are currently held in the same prison as Humala.
The most tragic response to these widespread allegations came from former president Alan García, who took his own life in 2019 as police arrived at his home to arrest him in connection with the scandal. Another, Pedro Pablo Kuczynski, was impeached due to his ties with Odebrecht.
The extensive investigations into the Odebrecht scandal are far from over, with many cases still active. Humala and Heredia themselves spent a year in pre-trial detention before their release, highlighting the lengthy and complex nature of legal proceedings in these corruption cases.
Regarding his conviction, Humala's legal representative, Wilfredo Pedraza, criticized the 15-year sentence as "excessive" and indicated plans to appeal. He insisted that Humala and Heredia view themselves as victims of political witch-hunts rather than perpetrators of corruption.
"The couple have always maintained that they are the victims of political persecution," summarized their stance, emphasizing a deep-seated belief in their innocence and framing the legal actions as politically motivated.
While the sentencing of Humala and Heredia closes a chapter in their legal battles, it opens broader discussions about justice and political accountability in Peru. As the nation continues to grapple with the implications of the Odebrecht scandal, the ongoing trials of other political figures will serve as critical markers of Peru's commitment to rooting out corruption.