Peru Court Overturns 15-Year Sentence for Ollanta Humala

The Constitutional Court of Peru overturned a 15-year prison sentence for Ollanta Humala, who served as president from 2011 to 2016. The court declared the criminal proceedings against him null and void, ruling that campaign contributions did not constitute money laundering at the time of the alleged acts. Humala was released from Barbadillo Prison in Lima on the evening of July 31, 2026.

Humala had been convicted in 2025 for accepting illegal funds from the Venezuelan government and the Brazilian construction firm Odebrecht, now known as Novonor, to finance his 2006 and 2011 election campaigns. His lawyer, Julio Espinoza Goyena, noted the court's determination that these contributions did not meet the legal definition of money laundering. This ruling follows a similar legal precedent used previously to dismiss a case against current President Keiko Fujimori.

Following his release, Humala denied receiving illegal funds and claimed he and his wife, Nadine Heredia, were victims of political and judicial persecution. Heredia, who also received a 15-year sentence for money laundering, remains in Brazil after being granted asylum by President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. Peru's Foreign Minister, Carlos Espa, described the court's decision as fair.