Former Peruvian President Ollanta Humala has been sentenced to 15 years in prison for receiving illicit campaign funds from the Brazilian construction firm Odebrecht. His wife, Nadine Heredia, was also sentenced to 15 years in prison on the same charges. Following the verdict, Heredia entered the Brazilian embassy in Lima to request asylum, citing health reasons, as she has cancer and had been denied permission to travel to Brazil for treatment in the past. Humala, who served as president from 2011 to 2016, will likely serve his sentence at a police base where other jailed former presidents are currently housed. He has denied the charges, calling them political persecution.
The sentencing of Humala comes as part of the larger “Lava Jato” corruption scandal, with Odebrecht admitting to doling out bribes across Latin America to expand its business empire. Humala is the second former president of Peru to be jailed in connection to the scandal, with others being implicated or sentenced for corruption as well. Former President Alan Garcia died by suicide in 2019 when police arrived at his home to arrest him, while Toledo and Kuczynski have faced legal consequences for their involvement with Odebrecht. The firm’s executives have testified that they financed numerous presidential candidates in Peru over nearly three decades. These revelations highlight the widespread corruption in the country’s political system and the influence of corporate bribery on its leaders.
Note: The image is for illustrative purposes only and is not the original image associated with the presented article. Due to copyright reasons, we are unable to use the original images. However, you can still enjoy the accurate and up-to-date content and information provided.
