Latest news with #Odebrecht
New York Times
16-04-2025
- Politics
- New York Times
Peru's Former First Lady Flees as She and Ex-President Are Sentenced to Prison
A former first lady of Peru fled to the Brazilian Embassy in Lima on Tuesday, seeking asylum as she and her husband were sentenced to prison in a money laundering verdict that makes him the third Peruvian president jailed on corruption charges in the last two decades. The former president sentenced on Tuesday, Ollanta Humala, had been convicted along with his wife, Nadine Heredia, of laundering money from a construction firm at the center of a sprawling Latin American corruption scandal to finance one of his campaigns for president. Both Mr. Humala, a former army commander who was president from 2011 to 2016, and his wife were sentenced to 15 years in prison. They had been accused of receiving almost $3 million in illegal contributions in his 2011 race, mostly from Odebrecht, the Brazilian construction giant linked to bribery cases across Latin America. He was also convicted of receiving hundreds of thousands of dollars from the Venezuelan government of Hugo Chávez for an unsuccessful 2006 campaign. Mr. Humala and Ms. Heredia have denied wrongdoing. In a sign of Peru's longstanding struggles with corruption and political dysfunction, and the periodic attempts to rein those problems in, Mr. Humala is one of six former presidents to have faced potential jail time over the last two decades — so many that the authorities have turned a former police academy on Lima's outskirts into a small prison for them. On Tuesday, the police escorted Mr. Humala, 62, from the courtroom after his sentence was read out. But his wife did not attend the hearing — in which a judge ordered their immediate imprisonment. Instead she went with their youngest son to the Brazilian Embassy, Peruvian officials said later on Tuesday, adding that Brazil had granted them both asylum under the 1954 Convention on Diplomatic Asylum, an agreement both countries signed. The Peruvian government indicated it would not attempt to fight Brazil's decision, saying in a statement from the foreign ministry that it had given Ms. Heredia, 48, and her son guarantees for their safe transfer out of the country. A lawyer for Mr. Humala denied any wrongdoing by the couple and said he would appeal the sentencing. Several of Mr. Humala's predecessors and successors were also entangled in Odebrecht investigations. Alejandro Toledo, Peru's president from 2001 to 2006, was sentenced last year to 20 years in prison in a case revolving around $35 million in bribes. Alan García, who served terms in the 1980s and 2000s, died by suicide in 2019, just as the authorities arrived at his home to detain him. Pedro Pablo Kuczynski, the president after Mr. Humala, spent years under house arrest over the course of an ongoing inquiry. (He has denied wrongdoing.) But two others faced starker charges. Alberto Fujimori, who pulled Peru into authoritarianism with brutal tactics in the 1990s, was jailed for more than a decade after he was convicted of human rights abuses and corruption charges. He was released in 2023, following an intensely controversial presidential pardon, and died last year at 86. And most recently, Pedro Castillo, a former schoolteacher who became Peru's first left-wing president in more than a generation, faces charges of rebellion and abuse of authority for having tried to dissolve Congress and install an emergency government in 2022.
Reuters
16-04-2025
- Politics
- Reuters
Wife of Peru's Humala arrives in Brazil for asylum as ex-president jailed
BRASILIA/LIMA, April 16 (Reuters) - Nadine Heredia, the wife of former Peruvian President Ollanta Humala, arrived in Brazil on Wednesday as the ex-leader spent the night in jail following a 15-year sentence for money laundering. Heredia landed in Brazil's capital after requesting asylum, the Brazilian foreign ministry said. She was slapped with a 15-year sentence of her own on Tuesday in the same case as her husband. here. The two were convicted of receiving funds from Brazilian builder Odebrecht, now known as Novonor ( in a sweeping graft case in which the construction firm doled out bribes to politicians across Latin America. Humala spent his first night imprisoned in the same jail where two other one-time heads of state, Alejandro Toledo and Pedro Castillo, are also being held. The unit was built particularly to hold former leaders. Heredia and one of her three children took off for Brasilia at around 4 a.m. local time in a plane sent by the government of leftist President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, lawyer Julio Espinoza told local radio RPP. She will head to Sao Paulo later in the day, where she will stay, her lawyer in Brazil, Marco Aurelio de Carvalho, told Reuters. Peru's government granted Heredia and her son safe passage to travel to Brazil after conversations between the two governments, Peru's foreign ministry said. Humala, a retired military officer who led the Andean nation from 2011 to 2016, is Peru's second former president to be jailed and the fourth to be implicated for his role in the case involving Odebrecht. Former Odebrecht executives have said in Peruvian court that the firm had financed almost all presidential candidates in the country for a nearly 30-year period.
BBC News
16-04-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Peru ex-president and first lady chop 15-year jail term
Peru former president Ollanta Humala, dey guilty of money laundering and dem don sentence am go prison for 15 years. Na court for di capital, Lima tok say e collect illegal money from di Venzulan president dat time, Hugo Chávez and from di Brazillian construction company Odebrecht to pay for im election campaigns for 2006 and 2011. Humala lawyer tok say e go appeal against di conviction. Im wife Nadine Heredia bin also dey found guilty of money laundering and dey sentenced to 15 years for jail. But dem don grant her safe passage to enta Brazil afta she seek asylum for di Brazilian embassy. Humala lawyer say e go appeal against di conviction. But unlike her husband, Heredia bin no dey court wen Judge Nayko Coronado bin pass sentence. She bin don already enta di Brazillian embassy togeda wit dia son bifor dem fit even execute arrest warrant. Brazil bin grant am asylum and di Peruvian goment say dem go honour di 1954 assylum convention to give Heredia and her son safe passage. Meanwhile, dem don carry di former president, 62 go Narbadillo prison wia dem don alreadi keep two former leaders, Alejandro Toledo and Pedro Castillo. Humala na di first of four Peruvial presidents wey dem go investigate in connection wit di Odebrcht kasala. Toledo wey bin hold office from 2001 to 2006 bin dey sentenced last year to ova 20 years for prison say im collect $35m (£26m) bribes from di company. Alan Garcia, wey be di president from 1985 to 1990 and 2006 to 2011 bin kill imself for 2019 as e bin dey face arrest on top accuse say Odebrecht bribe am. E bin deny di accuse. Pedro Pablo Kuczynski wey bin dey office from 2016 to 2018 bin face impeachment proceedings afta e comot say Odebrecht bin pay am millions of dollars for im previous goment role. Di investigation still dey go on. Kuczynski don maintain say di payment no dey illegal. Prosecutors tok say Humala and im wife, wey e follow collabo wit to form di Nationalist Party, bin collect $3m illegal contributions from di company wey dem use finance im 2011 presidential campaign. Dem also dey accused say dem collect $200,000 from Venezuelan leader Hugo Chávez to run di 2006 campaign. Di couple don tanda tok say dem be victims of political persecution. Humala lawyer, Wilfredi Pedraza also tok say dia 15-year sentence dey too much. Prosecution bin ask for 20 years for di former president and 25 and half years for Heredia. Who be Ollanta Humala? Humala na former army officer wey fight against di Maoist Shining Path rebels. E first bicom popular nationally for 2000 wen e bin lead one short milisary rebellion against di then president Alberto Fujimori. For 2006, e bin run for president on platform wey bin dey inspired by di socialist revolution of Chávez from Venezuela. Alan García, wey be Humala election rivals bin warn voters say make dem "no allow Peru turn anoda Venezuela" and win di presidency. For 2011, Humala come run more moderate platform wey take from di policies of di then Brazil president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and e use am beat im right-wing rival Keiko Fujimori wey be di eldest daughter of Alberto Fujimori. Social kasala sharparly spoil im popularity, and e lose di support of many members of Congress. Im legal kasla start shortly afta im finish im term for 2016 wen Odebrecht admit say dem bribe Latin goment officials and political parties wit hundreds of millions of dollars so dem go fit win business. Prosecutors accuse Humala and im wife say dem collect millions from Odebrecht togeda wit di illegal funding from Chávez to take fund di 2006 presidential campaign. One year later, judge bin order make di couple dey placed for pre-trial detention. Dem release dem afta a year but investigations into dia mata still kontinu wey lead to today judgement.
The Independent
16-04-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Peru's former first lady arrives in Brazil for asylum to evade prison
Peru 's former First Lady Nadine Heredia and her youngest son arrived in Brazil on Wednesday after the neighboring country granted her asylum, her lawyer and the foreign ministries of both countries said. A spokesperson at Brazil's Foreign Ministry confirmed that Heredia's flight arrived in the capital, Brasilia, at around 12 p.m. local time, but did not provide more details. Earlier, Heredia's lawyer Julio Espinoza told Peruvian radio RPP that she departed early Wednesday on an official plane provided by the Brazilian government. On Tuesday, a Peruvian court sentenced Heredia and her husband, Former President Ollanta Humala to 15 years in prison for laundering funds received from Brazilian construction giant Odebrecht to finance his 2006 and 2011 campaigns. Humala, who attended the court session, was immediately jailed, while Heredia, 48, took refuge in the Brazilian Embassy with their son, Samin Humala, 14. On Tuesday night, Peru's Foreign Ministry said in a statement that Brazil granted diplomatic asylum to the former first lady and her son under a 1954 convention to which both countries are signatories. The ministry said Peruvian authorities granted them safe passage to Brazil. Peru's Foreign Ministry didn't immediately respond to a request for comment from The Associated Press. Former First Lady Heredia's brother, Ilán Heredia, also was sentenced to 12 years in prison for money laundering in the same case. The judges of Peru's National Superior Court found that Humala and Heredia received almost $3 million in illegal contributions for political campaigns from Odebrecht and the government of then-Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez (1999-2013). Humala, a 62-year-old retired military officer, came to power in 2011 after defeating right-wing politician Keiko Fujimori in the second round. The trial began in 2022, and alongside Humala and his 48-year-old wife, the court convicted eight others. Both Humala and Heredia were held in pretrial detention from 2017 to 2018 at the prosecutor's request to prevent their flight. Odebrecht's 2016 admission of widespread bribery across Latin America preceded the initial investigations against Humala, which started in 2015, a year before the company's revelations. Most of the presidents who governed Peru since 2001 have faced legal problems due to their connections with Odebrecht. Toledo is currently imprisoned, while former President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski is under house arrest. Alan García, who served two non-consecutive terms (1985-1990 and 2006-2011), died by suicide in 2019 as authorities moved to arrest him in connection with Odebrecht bribes. Beyond former presidents, prominent figures like former presidential candidate Keiko Fujimori and numerous ex-governors are also under investigation. ____ ____
Los Angeles Times
16-04-2025
- Politics
- Los Angeles Times
Peru's former first lady flees to Brazil for asylum to evade prison
SAO PAULO — Peru's former first lady, Nadine Heredia, and her youngest son traveled Wednesday to Brazil after the neighboring country granted her asylum, her lawyer and the foreign ministries of both countries said. Heredia's lawyer Julio Espinoza told Peruvian radio RPP that she departed early Wednesday on an official plane provided by the Brazilian government. A spokesman at Brazil's Foreign Ministry confirmed that the flight was en route to Brazil, but did not provide more details. On Tuesday, a Peruvian court sentenced former President Ollanta Humala and his wife to 15 years in prison for laundering funds received from Brazilian construction giant Odebrecht to finance his 2006 and 2011 campaigns. Humala, who attended the court session, was immediately jailed, while Heredia, 48, took refugee in the Brazilian Embassy with their son, Samin Humala, 14. On Tuesday night, Peru's Foreign Ministry said in a statement that Brazil granted diplomatic asylum to the former first lady and her son under a 1954 convention to which both countries are signatories. The ministry said Peruvian authorities granted them safe passage to Brazil. Peru's Foreign Ministry didn't immediately respond to a request for comment from the Associated Press. Heredia's brother, Ilán Heredia, also was sentenced to 12 years in prison for money laundering in the same case. The judges of Peru's National Superior Court found that Humala and Heredia received almost $3 million in illegal contributions for political campaigns from Odebrecht and the government of then-Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez (1999-2013). Humala, a 62-year-old retired military officer, came to power in 2011 after defeating right-wing politician Keiko Fujimori in the second round. The trial began in 2022, and alongside Humala and his 48-year-old wife, the court convicted eight others. Both Humala and Heredia were held in pretrial detention from 2017 to 2018 at the prosecutor's request to prevent their flight. Odebrecht's 2016 admission of widespread bribery across Latin America preceded the initial investigations against Humala, which started in 2015, a year before the company's revelations. Most of the presidents who governed Peru since 2001 have faced legal problems due to their connections with Odebrecht. Toledo is currently imprisoned, while former President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski is under house arrest. Alan García, who served two non-consecutive terms (1985-1990 and 2006-2011), died by suicide in 2019 as authorities moved to arrest him in connection with Odebrecht bribes. Beyond former presidents, prominent figures like former presidential candidate Keiko Fujimori and numerous ex-governors are also under investigation. Pessoa and Briceño write for the Associated Press. Briceño contributed reporting from Lima. AP journalist Mauricio Savarese contributed reporting from Sao Paulo.
