Former Peruvian President Ollanta Humala has been released from prison after Peru’s Constitutional Court overturned his 15-year sentence for money laundering linked to the sprawling Odebrecht corruption scandal that has implicated several of the country’s former leaders.
Humala, 64, walked free from a prison facility in Lima on Friday evening under police escort after the court declared his conviction null and void, marking a dramatic twist in one of Peru’s highest-profile corruption cases.
Supporters gathered outside the prison to welcome the former president, who served as Peru’s head of state from 2011 to 2016.
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Speaking shortly after his release, Humala maintained his innocence, alleging that he and his family had been unfairly targeted throughout the legal process.
“We have been victims of political and judicial persecution,” he said.
Humala, a retired army officer, became the first former Peruvian president to stand trial over the Odebrecht bribery scandal, which has shaken the country’s political establishment for nearly a decade.
He and his wife, Nadine Heredia, were convicted after prosecutors alleged they received illegal campaign contributions from Brazilian construction company Odebrecht and the Venezuelan government during two presidential election campaigns.
Following her conviction, Heredia sought asylum in Brazil, where she remains.
The Constitutional Court’s ruling annulled Humala’s conviction and sentence, although legal experts say prosecutors could still pursue further judicial proceedings depending on the court’s directives.
The Odebrecht scandal remains one of the largest corruption investigations in Latin America.
In 2016, the Brazilian construction company admitted paying approximately $788 million in bribes to politicians and government officials across several countries to secure public infrastructure contracts and agreed to pay about $3.5 billion in penalties.
Peru was among the countries most affected by the scheme, with Odebrecht admitting it paid at least $29 million in bribes to Peruvian officials between 2005 and 2014.
The scandal has implicated several former Peruvian presidents and has continued to influence the country’s political and judicial landscape.
