Ollanta Humala Sentenced to 15 Years for Money Laundering

Ollanta Humala, who served as Peru's president from 2011 to 2016, has been sentenced to 15 years in prison for money laundering involving illegal funds from the Brazilian construction company Odebrecht.

Ollanta Humala, once a prominent figure in Peruvian politics, has been found guilty of money laundering, with a Lima court sentencing him to 15 years in prison. The court established that Humala accepted illicit funds from the Brazilian construction giant Odebrecht, specifically to finance his campaigns for presidency in 2006 and 2011. Alongside him, his spouse and co-founder of the Nationalist Party, Nadine Heredia, was also found guilty and received a 15-year sentence.

Prosecutors initially sought longer sentences; they proposed 20 years for Humala and over 26 years for Heredia. The verdict came after a lengthy trial that lasted over three years. Humala, now 62, attended the court hearings in person, whereas Heredia participated via video link. Both defendants have maintained their innocence throughout the trial process.

Ollanta Humala's journey in politics began as a former army officer renowned for fighting against the Shining Path rebel group. He gained national attention in 2000 when he attempted a military coup against then-President Alberto Fujimori. In his presidential campaigns, he aligned with several leftist figures, notably Venezuela's Hugo Chávez in 2006. Although his association with Chávez was leveraged by opponents, he later shifted to a more moderate platform in 2011, taking inspiration from Brazil’s Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, which led to his electoral victory against Keiko Fujimori.

However, Humala's presidency faced substantial challenges, including social unrest and erosion of legislative support, contributing to a decline in his public approval. The legal scrutiny began in 2016 following Odebrecht's admissions of extensive bribery throughout Latin America. The scandal deeply implicated various politicians, including Humala and his wife, who were accused of receiving substantial illicit money. A judge placed them under pre-trial detention, which lasted a year, during which the investigation progressed, resulting in this recent monumental ruling.