Peru's Presidential Scandal: Humala Sentenced

Former Peruvian President Ollanta Humala and his wife, Nadine Heredia, were sentenced to 15 years in prison for laundering funds from Odebrecht to finance past political campaigns. They join other former Peruvian leaders in prison due to corruption charges, highlighting a continuing saga of political scandal in the country.

In a landmark ruling on Tuesday, a Peruvian court has sentenced former President Ollanta Humala and his wife, Nadine Heredia, to 15 years in prison. The couple has been convicted of laundering money received from the Brazilian construction company Odebrecht to finance Humala's 2006 and 2011 presidential campaigns.

The National Superior Court judges found significant evidence that millions in illicit contributions were funneled from Odebrecht and through the Venezuelan government under President Hugo Chávez. This verdict places Humala alongside other former Peruvian leaders convicted on corruption charges, such as Alejandro Toledo and Alberto Fujimori.

Humala's trial, which began in 2022, ended with the conviction of eight additional individuals. The couple, who were held in pretrial detention from 2017 to 2018, faced charges stemming from a wider investigation into Odebrecht's bribery admissions in Latin America, first brought to light in 2016.

(With inputs from agencies.)