Former President of Peru, Ollanta Humala, has been convicted on charges of money laundering and is facing a sentence of 15 years in prison. The verdict was announced by a court in Lima, where it was revealed that Humala had received illegal financial contributions from the Brazilian construction company Odebrecht to support his electoral campaigns during 2006 and 2011. Alongside Humala, his wife Nadine Heredia, a co-founder of the Nationalist Party, was also sentenced to 15 years on similar charges.
The prosecution had originally sought a more extended sentence of 20 years for Humala and 26 and a half years for Heredia. Following a trial that stretched over three years, the court delivered its long-anticipated decision on Tuesday. Humala was present for the verdict, while Heredia attended via video link. Both defendants have maintained their innocence throughout the legal proceedings.
Ollanta Humala, a former army officer known for his combat against Maoist militants, gained national security prominence in 2000 during a failed military rebellion against then-President Alberto Fujimori. His presidential bids in 2006 and 2011 saw him initially align with the policies of Venezuela’s Hugo Chávez before pivoting to a moderate approach modeled after Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva's Brazil, eventually defeating Keiko Fujimori in the 2011 elections.
However, his presidency was marred by social unrest and declining popularity, and he began facing legal repercussions soon after leaving office in 2016. That year, Odebrecht confessed to extensive bribery across Latin America, implicating multiple officials, including Humala and Heredia, who are accused of receiving substantial sums from the construction giant. Following their pre-trial detention for a year, the investigation into their dealings with Odebrecht persisted, ultimately leading to their convictions.
