Brasília, Brazil — Nadine Heredia, Peru’s former First Lady and wife of ex-President Ollanta Humala (2011–2016), arrived in Brazil on Wednesday under diplomatic asylum, mere hours after being sentenced to 15 years in prison for her role in a major corruption scandal involving Brazilian construction conglomerate Odebrecht and funding from Venezuela.
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Heredia, accompanied by her youngest son, Samir, who was also granted asylum, landed in Brasília aboard a Brazilian Air Force jet, following a swift approval of her asylum request and the issuance of a safe-conduct pass by Peruvian authorities.
A Regional Scandal Reignited
Heredia and Humala were convicted Tuesday on charges of aggravated money laundering, accused of receiving illegal campaign donations from Odebrecht and late Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez during Peru’s 2006 and 2011 elections.
While Humala was arrested and sent to Barbadillo prison in Lima — where former presidents Alejandro Toledo and Pedro Castillo are also detained — Heredia fled to the Brazilian Embassy in Lima immediately after the verdict, invoking diplomatic protection under the 1954 Caracas Convention on Diplomatic Asylum.
Diplomatic Ripples Across Latin America
The case has triggered heated political debate in Peru, where Foreign Minister Elmer Schialer has been summoned to explain the government’s decision to allow Heredia’s departure. Congressional President Eduardo Salhuana acknowledged the country’s treaty obligations, emphasizing the need to avoid a diplomatic standoff with Brazil, Peru’s top Latin American trade partner.
“The government had no choice under international law,” Salhuana stated. “Refusal could have escalated into a full diplomatic crisis.”
Brazil, invoking the 1954 Caracas Convention, defended its decision despite Peru’s objections concerning Heredia’s conviction on serious financial crimes. Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, who himself was imprisoned over charges later annulled, signed off on the asylum — reigniting conversations about the region’s history of politicized justice and Brazil’s legacy of offering refuge to embattled leaders.
Brazil’s Legacy of Political Asylum
Brazil has a long-standing tradition of granting asylum to controversial political figures. Among the most notable were Paraguayan dictator Alfredo Stroessner, ex-President Raúl Cubas, and Ecuador’s Lucio Gutiérrez.
Heredia’s legal team confirmed that her exit from Peru was executed in the early hours of Wednesday morning under military protection. Her future in Brazil remains uncertain — it is still unclear whether she and her son will remain in Brasília or relocate elsewhere within the country.
Meanwhile, Heredia’s conviction remains under appeal, potentially opening another chapter in a saga that continues to entangle power, politics, and justice across Latin America.
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