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A court in Peru on Tuesday sentenced former president Ollanta Humala and his wife, Nadine Heredia, to 15 years in prison after finding them guilty of corruption tied to the massive Odebrecht bribery scandal that shook Latin America.
Humala, 62, and Heredia were convicted of money laundering for accepting illegal contributions during two of his presidential campaigns. Prosecutors said the couple received millions in illicit funds from the Brazilian construction giant Odebrecht, as well as from Venezuela’s government, to support Humala’s 2006 and 2011 runs for office.
Soon after the verdict was read out in court, Humala was taken into custody. Judge Nayko Coronado also ordered the arrest of Heredia, who was not present during the hearing.
Later that day, Heredia sought asylum at the Brazilian embassy in Lima, according to officials.
Odebrecht payments at the center of a historic corruption case
The former president and his wife are the latest high-profile figures to be sentenced in connection with the Odebrecht case, which has been described as one of the most extensive foreign bribery operations in modern history. The company admitted to paying hundreds of millions of dollars in bribes to politicians across Latin America in exchange for lucrative public works contracts.
Prosecutors in Peru had requested 20 years in prison for Humala and 26 years for Heredia. According to their findings, the couple received $3 million from Odebrecht to support Humala’s 2011 presidential bid. The court also found that about $200,000 was funneled into Humala’s earlier, unsuccessful 2006 campaign by Venezuela’s then-president Hugo Chávez.
Heredia was additionally accused of hiding real estate purchases made with some of the illicit funds.
Despite the court’s decision, the pair have long denied any wrongdoing. Following the sentencing, Humala’s legal team announced plans to appeal the verdict.
Brazil confirms asylum request from Heredia
Shortly after the ruling, Brazil’s foreign ministry confirmed that Heredia had officially sought diplomatic asylum at its embassy in Lima. It also said that both governments were “in constant communication regarding this situation.”
Heredia’s absence from the courtroom on sentencing day raised speculation that she may have been planning to avoid arrest. Her request for asylum now adds a diplomatic layer to an already high-profile case.
Humala is the first ex-president tried in the Odebrecht case
Ollanta Humala, a former military officer, served as president from 2011 to 2016. In 2022, he became the first former Peruvian head of state to face trial over the Odebrecht scandal, which has ensnared much of Peru’s political elite.
Three other former presidents of Peru have also been implicated in the same investigation. Alan García, who served two terms, died by suicide in 2019 as police arrived at his home to arrest him. Alejandro Toledo, who held office from 2001 to 2006, was sentenced last year to more than 20 years in prison after being convicted of accepting millions in bribes from Odebrecht.
A fourth ex-president, Pedro Pablo Kuczynski, who governed from 2016 to 2018, remains under investigation.
Odebrecht admitted to widespread bribery in Peru and beyond
In 2016, Odebrecht reached a plea deal with authorities in Brazil, the United States, and Switzerland, agreeing to pay $3.5 billion in fines. The deal was based on the company’s admission that it had paid over $788 million in bribes to politicians and officials in multiple countries to secure government contracts.
In Peru alone, Odebrecht acknowledged paying at least $29 million in bribes between 2005 and 2014.
Fujimori also implicated in related case
Humala rose to power in 2011 after defeating Keiko Fujimori, the daughter of former president Alberto Fujimori, in a runoff election. Keiko Fujimori herself was later linked to the Odebrecht scandal. She spent 16 months in pre-trial detention while facing charges connected to the case.
The ongoing fallout from the Odebrecht corruption saga continues to reshape Peruvian politics, with several top leaders now behind bars or still under investigation. The sentencing of Humala and Heredia marks another milestone in the country’s efforts to address deep-rooted political corruption.
