Peru’s former First Lady Nadine Heredia has fled to Brazil, where she was granted diplomatic asylum after a Peruvian court sentenced her and her husband, ex-President Ollanta Humala, to 15 years in prison for money laundering.
Heredia arrived in Brasilia with her son shortly after requesting asylum at the Brazilian Embassy in Lima, with safe passage guaranteed by the Peruvian government.
The sentencing relates to allegations that Humala’s Nationalist Party received illicit campaign funds from Venezuela and the Brazilian company Odebrecht during the 2006 and 2011 elections.
Humala was present at the verdict reading, while Heredia did not attend. Both have denied wrongdoing and plan to appeal the sentence.
Heredia’s lawyer indicated the asylum request was a last-minute family decision made hours before the sentencing, with the former first lady possibly attending future hearings virtually from Brazil.
Prosecutors had sought up to 26 years for Heredia and 20 for Humala.