In a stunning legal reversal, Peru's constitutional court has tossed out the 15-year prison sentence of former President Ollanta Humala, effectively nullifying the corruption case against him.
Humala, who served from 2011 to 2016, was convicted in 2025 for laundering illicit funds linked to the Brazilian construction giant Odebrecht and the late Venezuelan dictator Hugo Chávez. The court's decision paves the way for his release from Barbadillo Prison in Lima.
Humala’s defense team successfully argued that the campaign contributions in question did not constitute money laundering, leading the court to order the dismissal of the proceedings. The ruling marks a major development in the long-running Odebrecht scandal, which has ensnared multiple Peruvian presidents.
While Humala is set to walk free, his wife, Nadine Heredia, who was also sentenced to 15 years for her role in the scheme, remains in Brazil after seeking asylum.
The Odebrecht scandal has been a stain on Peruvian politics for years, involving massive bribery schemes that have toppled administrations and led to the tragic suicide of former President Alan García. Humala, who rose to power on a socialist platform inspired by Chávez, has consistently claimed his prosecution was politically motivated.
With this latest court intervention, the legal accountability that once seemed certain for the former president has been completely dismantled.
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