Former Peruvian President Sentenced to 15 Years for Corruption
Husband Imprisoned... Wife Flees to Brazil Immediately After Verdict
The former president of Peru, who was sentenced to prison for fabricating the source of bribe money and other charges, has been incarcerated, but his wife fled to Brazil immediately after the court ruling.
Brazilian media outlet G1 and Peruvian daily El Comercio reported that Nadine Heredia (48), the wife of former president Ollanta Humala (62), arrived in Brasilia on the 16th (local time) via a Brazilian Air Force flight and began her life in exile.
Former Peruvian President Ollanta Humala stood at the entrance of his home in Lima, Peru, with his wife after being released. Photo by AP Yonhap News
It has been confirmed that Heredia obtained refugee status from Brazilian authorities along with their minor children. Earlier, Peru's 3rd Criminal Court sentenced former president Humala and his wife Heredia to 15 years in prison each on charges including money laundering.
According to the Peruvian prosecution, Humala, who was in office from 2011 to 2016, received $3 million (approximately 4.3 billion KRW at the current exchange rate) from Odebrecht, a major Brazilian construction company, before assuming the presidency, and then fabricated the acquisition process with his wife.
The couple was also accused of receiving $200,000 (about 280 million KRW) from the late Venezuelan president Hugo Ch?vez, who was once an icon of the South American left. The Peruvian prosecution included this in the indictment, and the court recognized it as guilty, according to Peruvian media reports.
El Comercio reported, "The former president's mother-in-law and brother-in-law were also involved in the related case and received prison sentences." However, Heredia's legal team argues that the prosecution's indictment and the court's guilty verdict were made without clear evidence. They claim that only Odebrecht's assertion that "money was handed over" exists, but the prosecution did not present substantial proof to support this. G1 reported that Heredia's lawyers explained this is very similar to the past money laundering case involving former president Luiz In?cio Lula da Silva.
In Peru, public criticism is rising, accusing Heredia of fleeing into exile under the protection of authorities. In response, the Peruvian Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated in a press release, "The Brazilian Embassy in Peru requested the departure of Heredia and her children as diplomatic refugees," adding, "We informed Brazil of Heredia's prison sentence, but accepted Brazil's request based on the convention regarding refugee status."
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