Former Peruvian President Ollanta Humala Freed After Money Laundering Conviction Annulled

Former Peruvian President Ollanta Humala walked free from prison on April 30, 2018, after the Constitutional Court annulled his conviction for money laundering. Humala, who served as president from 2011 to 2016, had been serving a 15-year sentence since April 2025 for alleged irregular campaign financing.

The court declared the legal process against Humala illegal and unfounded, prompting his release from the Barbadillo penitentiary, a facility exclusively for former presidents. Humala joined former leaders Alejandro Toledo, Martín Vizcarra, and Pedro Castillo, who are currently held there, and the late Alberto Fujimori, who also spent over a decade in the prison.

Upon his release, Humala declared to the press, "We have been victims of political and judicial persecution." He added, "On April 15, 2025 (when I was sentenced), I was kidnapped by the state." He vehemently denied receiving campaign contributions from Venezuela or Brazil. Humala also lamented that the conviction forced him to seek asylum for his wife in Brazil and send his children out of the country.

A judge from the First National Preparatory Investigation Court ordered Humala's immediate release, complying with a demand from his legal team. Humala was greeted by supporters outside the prison, chanting his name, accompanied by his lawyers and former party members.