Former First Lady of Peru Nadine Heredia posted on social media in April that she’d taken refuge in the Brazilian Embassy in Lima. This action follows a court ruling sentencing her and her husband, former President Ollanta Humala, to four years in prison for money laundering. Heredia filed her application for asylum on Tuesday, the same day their long prison sentences of 15 years each were publicized.
The Brazilian Embassy in Washington, D.C. clarified that Heredia made it to the diplomatic compound on Tuesday morning. This request follows up our July 28 problematic legal award recognizing their dubious contributions to Humala’s successful election campaigns of 2006 and 2011. Thus, their engagement in such purportedly illegal activities has resulted in a dramatic fallout. Indeed, prosecutors had originally requested a 26-year prison sentence for Heredia, an indication of how serious these charges were against her.
Heredia failed to appear for the trial. It remains a matter of dispute whether she got into the embassy before or after the announcement of her sentencing. The couple’s attorney, Wilfredo Pedraza, condemned the ruling in strident terms. He claimed that the legal actions taken are not supported by the evidence and thus unjustified.
“The panel has said that the illegality of the crimes can be verified along the way – that is inadmissible. Here, in oral trial and in sentencing, affirmations must be made, no longer presumptions.” – Wilfredo Pedraza
Both Heredia and Humala have repeatedly denied any wrongdoing on the charges. Their defense has maintained that the charges are baseless and that they intend to appeal the ruling in order to pursue justice.
The case against Heredia and Humala is drawing significant media interest in Peru. It brings focus to a growing crisis of corruption in our political campaigns. The former president’s sentencing represents a historic carryover in Peruvian politics. It further unveils the enduring legal onslaughts that political opponents face in the nation.
