Constitutional Court Vacates Sentence of Former Peruvian President Ollanta Humala
Ollanta Humala left Barbadillo prison on July 31, 2026, after Peru's Constitutional Court annulled his 15-year money laundering conviction. The former leader claims the Odebrecht-linked prosecution was a politically motivated attack on his ideology.
Key takeaways
- Peru's Constitutional Court annulled Ollanta Humala's 15-year money laundering sentence on July 31, 2026.
- The former president was convicted for allegedly accepting illegal campaign funds from Odebrecht and the Venezuelan government.
- Humala claims the prosecution was a form of political and ideological persecution against his family.
- The Odebrecht scandal has led to legal proceedings against four former Peruvian presidents, including Humala, Toledo, Vizcarra, and Castillo.
- Foreign Minister Carlos Espa, a member of the rival Fujimori administration, expressed approval of the court's decision to free Humala.
Judicial Reversal and Immediate Release
Former Peruvian President Ollanta Humala exited the Barbadillo prison facility at approximately 7:40 p.m. on July 31, 2026, following a decisive ruling by the Constitutional Court. The court declared his 15-year sentence for money laundering null and void, prompting a criminal court to order his immediate discharge. Humala, who led the nation from 2011 to 2016, departed the Lima-based police base in a vehicle under police escort, greeted by a gathering of supporters.
The 64-year-old former army officer had been incarcerated alongside three other former heads of state—Alejandro Toledo, Martin Vizcarra, and Pedro Castillo—in a specialized prison reserved for former leaders. While his wife, Nadine Heredia, remains in Brazil where she sought asylum following their conviction last year, Humala returned to his private residence, maintaining his innocence against all charges.
Allegations of Political Persecution
Upon his release, Humala characterized the legal proceedings as a targeted campaign against his political stance. "We have been victims of political and judicial persecution," he told reporters, asserting that he never accepted campaign funds from Venezuela or Brazil. He argued that the judicial system had targeted his family because of their specific ideology rather than criminal evidence.
The case centered on allegations that Humala and Heredia received illicit campaign contributions from the Venezuelan government and the Brazilian construction conglomerate Odebrecht. Despite the gravity of the initial conviction, current Foreign Minister Carlos Espa described the court's decision to void the sentence as "fair." Notably, Espa serves under President Keiko Fujimori, a right-wing rival whom Humala defeated in the 2011 presidential runoff.
Context of the Odebrecht Scandal
Humala was the first of four Peruvian presidents to face trial regarding the Odebrecht corruption network, a massive bribery scheme that spanned Latin America. The Brazilian firm previously admitted to distributing $788 million in bribes to foreign officials to secure infrastructure contracts, including at least $29 million paid within Peru between 2005 and 2014. In 2016, the company agreed to pay $3.5 billion in total penalties.
The legal fallout from these payments has reached the highest levels of Peruvian power. Even President Keiko Fujimori previously spent over a year in pre-trial detention concerning similar allegations of illegal campaign financing before her own proceedings were annulled. The release of Humala marks a significant shift in the ongoing judicial efforts to prosecute the political consequences of the Odebrecht era.
Source: The Hindu — World
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