A major legal setback for Peru’s anti-corruption drive has seen former president Ollanta Humala walk out of prison after the country’s Constitutional Court overturned his 15-year sentence, ending his imprisonment in a case that had linked him to illegal campaign financing and the wider Odebrecht scandal.
The court ruled that the criminal proceedings against Humala were no longer valid, effectively cancelling the conviction that had been handed to him in 2025 over allegations that he received undeclared funds during his presidential campaigns.
Humala, who governed Peru from 2011 to 2016, was released from the Barbadillo Prison in Lima on Friday evening, where supporters gathered outside the facility to celebrate his return to freedom.
His legal team welcomed the decision, arguing that the money received during his political campaigns did not amount to a criminal offence.
Lawyer Julio Espinoza Goyena said the ruling confirmed that the campaign contributions at the centre of the case could not be classified as money laundering.
“The contributions his client received on electoral campaigns do not constitute money laundering,” Espinoza said in a statement shared on social media.
He further called on the court handling the case to formally close the proceedings against the former leader.
“The Criminal Chamber currently handling the case must order the definitive dismissal of the proceedings and the FREEDOM of former President Ollanta Humala,” he added.
Speaking shortly after leaving prison, Humala accused authorities of targeting him and his family through the legal process.
“We have been victims of political and judicial persecution,” he told journalists.
The former president had been convicted alongside his wife Nadine Heredia, who was also sentenced to 15 years for money laundering. Heredia, however, was not imprisoned after she sought asylum at the Brazilian embassy and was later allowed to travel to Brazil.
The charges against the couple centred on claims that they received millions of dollars in hidden political funding. Prosecutors alleged Odebrecht provided about $3 million to support Humala’s 2011 presidential campaign, while another $200,000 was allegedly received from Venezuela’s late leader Hugo Chávez for his 2006 campaign.
Humala and Heredia rejected the accusations, insisting the funds were legitimate political donations and describing the case as politically driven.
The former president first gained national attention in 2000 when he led a short-lived military rebellion against President Alberto Fujimori. He later transformed himself into a political figure and made his first presidential attempt in 2006 with a campaign influenced by Chávez’s left-wing ideology.
He returned to the race in 2011 with a more centrist platform, drawing inspiration from Brazil’s then-president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. Humala defeated Keiko Fujimori, the daughter of Alberto Fujimori, to secure the presidency.
The legal battle began after his time in office ended, following revelations that Brazilian construction firm Odebrecht had paid bribes and channelled illegal funds to politicians across Latin America in exchange for influence and government contracts.
Humala was the first among several Peruvian leaders to face investigations linked to Odebrecht.
Former president Alejandro Toledo was sentenced to more than 20 years in prison after being found guilty of receiving millions of dollars in bribes from the company.
Alan García, who served two presidential terms, died in 2019 while facing arrest over allegations connected to Odebrecht. He had denied wrongdoing.
Pedro Pablo Kuczynski also faced political pressure and impeachment proceedings after payments connected to Odebrecht raised questions over his past dealings, though he has maintained the transactions were lawful.
The Constitutional Court’s decision has reopened debate in Peru over accountability, political financing and the handling of corruption cases involving former leaders.