Peru’s Former President Ollanta Humala Sentenced to 15 Years for Money Laundering
Lima, Peru – April 2025 — Peru’s former president Ollanta Humala has been sentenced to 15 years in prison after being found guilty of money laundering, marking a historic conviction in the country’s long-running anti-corruption drive. The court ruling, delivered in Lima on Tuesday, concludes a high-profile trial that lasted over three years.
According to the court’s decision, Humala illegally accepted campaign contributions from the Brazilian construction conglomerate Odebrecht to finance his presidential bids in both 2006 and 2011. His wife, Nadine Heredia, who co-founded the Peruvian Nationalist Party and played a prominent role in his political campaigns, was also found guilty of money laundering and received the same 15-year sentence.
The prosecution had sought a harsher punishment—20 years for Humala and 26.5 years for Heredia—but the court ultimately handed down lesser sentences. While Humala was present in court for the verdict, Heredia attended the hearing via video conference. Both have consistently denied the allegations throughout the investigation and trial.
A Rise from Soldier to President
Ollanta Humala, now 62, first captured national attention in 2000 when, as an army officer, he led a brief military uprising against then-President Alberto Fujimori. Although the rebellion was short-lived, it propelled him into the public spotlight and laid the groundwork for his political career.
In 2006, Humala launched his first presidential campaign, aligning himself with then-Venezuelan leader Hugo Chávez. Prosecutors alleged that this campaign also received illegal funding from Chávez’s government. Although Humala lost that election to Alan García, he returned in 2011 with a more centrist platform modeled after Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. This shift helped him defeat right-wing candidate Keiko Fujimori and win the presidency.
However, Humala's time in office (2011–2016) was marred by political unrest and a sharp decline in popularity, particularly due to clashes over mining projects and environmental concerns. He also faced growing opposition in Congress, which hindered his ability to govern effectively.
The Odebrecht Scandal and Legal Fallout
Humala’s legal troubles began shortly after he left office in 2016. That same year, Odebrecht admitted to paying vast sums in bribes—totaling hundreds of millions of dollars—to politicians and officials across Latin America in exchange for lucrative construction contracts. The revelations triggered criminal investigations throughout the region.
Peruvian prosecutors accused Humala and Heredia of receiving several million dollars from Odebrecht. In 2017, a judge ordered the couple into pre-trial detention, where they remained for nearly a year before being released pending trial. The case against them continued to build, culminating in this week’s long-awaited verdict.
This conviction makes Humala the first former Peruvian president to be sentenced over the Odebrecht scandal, a major milestone in a nation where nearly every living ex-president has faced criminal charges or investigation.
Sources: News Agencies