Husband Humala given 15-year jail for laundering money, Peru’s former First Lady flees to Brazil for asylum

Peru’s former First Lady Nadine Heredia has fled to Brazil and been granted diplomatic asylum, a day after a Peruvian court sentenced her and her husband, ex-President Ollanta Humala, to 15 years in prison on money laundering charges.

Heredia, who did not attend the sentencing, arrived in Brasília on Wednesday (April 17) with her son, according to her lawyer Julio Espinoza. She had requested asylum at the Brazilian Embassy in Lima just hours before the verdict was announced. Brazil granted protection to both her and her son, while Peru’s government authorised their safe passage, CNN reported.

Heredia’s sudden departure has raised eyebrows across Peru’s political circles, with critics accusing her of evading justice. Espinoza said the asylum request had been motivated by a “family and personal decision,” made only a few hours before the court ruling. He admitted that he had learned of the move through media reports.

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The sentencing marks a dramatic chapter in a years-long legal saga involving illicit campaign financing tied to some of Latin America’s most high-profile corruption cases. Prosecutors alleged that Humala’s Nationalist Party received millions in illegal contributions from the Venezuelan government and the Brazilian construction giant Odebrecht to support his presidential bids in 2006 and 2011.

Both Humala and Heredia have denied any wrongdoing. The couple were accused of using shell companies and undeclared bank accounts to funnel illicit funds into campaign coffers and personal assets. Prosecutors had sought a 20-year sentence for Humala and 26 years for Heredia.

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Humala was present in court on Tuesday (April 16) when the verdict was read out. Within moments of the judgment, judges ordered that he begin serving his sentence immediately. His lawyer, Wilfredo Pedraza, criticised the decision, calling it “inexplicable” and confirming that an appeal would be filed.

“The panel has said that the illegality of the crimes can be verified along the way – that is inadmissible. Here, in oral trial and in sentencing, affirmations must be made, no longer presumptions,” Pedraza told CNN.

If the case proceeds to appeal, Heredia may participate in hearings virtually from Brazil, according to Espinoza.

The convictions come amid ongoing efforts across Latin America to hold former heads of state accountable for financial misconduct and corruption, particularly in connection with the Odebrecht scandal, which has embroiled political figures across the region.