In brief
Ollanta Humala becomes the third Peruvian president imprisoned in connection to widespread corruption involving the Odebrecht scandal.
In a dramatic turn of events, Nadine Heredia, the former first lady of Peru, sought asylum at the Brazilian Embassy in Lima following a 15-year prison sentence handed to her and her husband, ex-President Ollanta Humala. The sentencing came after they were found guilty of laundering funds tied to the notorious Odebrecht construction scandal that has rocked multiple Latin American nations.On Tuesday, a Peruvian judge confirmed the couple’s conviction for receiving nearly $3 million in illegal campaign contributions during Humala's presidential aspirations in 2011. The former president, who served from 2011 to 2016, had also faced allegations of receiving substantial financial support from the Venezuelan government during an earlier campaign in 2006.Despite their legal troubles, both Humala and Heredia maintain their innocence. Following the sentencing, authorities swiftly moved to transport Humala from the courtroom to a secure facility. However, Heredia’s absence during the hearing allowed her to evade immediate arrest, seeking refuge instead in the Brazilian Embassy, which has granted her asylum.The situation underscores Peru's deep-rooted challenges with political corruption, as Humala joins a long list of former leaders who have encountered legal repercussions over the past two decades. With this latest conviction, the authorities have even repurposed a former police academy into a makeshift detention center for imprisoned politicians, illustrating the gravity of the country’s corruption crisis.
