Former First Lady of Peru Seeks Asylum Amidst Corruption Sentencing

On April 16, 2025, Nadine Heredia, the former First Lady of Peru, fled to the Brazilian Embassy in Lima seeking asylum after both she and her husband, former President Ollanta Humala, were sentenced to 15 years in prison for money laundering. This significant ruling marks the growing trend of corruption-related incarcerations in Peru, with Humala becoming the third president to face such consequences in the past two decades.

The couple was convicted for laundering approximately $3 million from Odebrecht, a Brazilian construction giant embroiled in corruption scandals across Latin America, to fund Humala's 2011 presidential campaign. Additionally, he received substantial funds from the Chávez administration during his unsuccessful 2006 campaign. Both Humala and Heredia have consistently denied any illegal activities.

This incident highlights Peru’s ongoing challenges with corruption, illustrated by the fact that six former presidents have faced criminal proceedings in recent years. After the sentencing, police took the 62-year-old Humala into custody, while Heredia’s absence from the courtroom underscored the desperation of their circumstances. Peru's authorities have even transformed a police academy into a makeshift prison to accommodate the surge in politically corrupt officials facing justice.