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Ollanta Humala leaves prison but the Odebrecht investigation continues

The former president of Peru was imprisoned in 2017 when he was involved in a corruption scandal 

Ollanta Humala leaves prison but the Odebrecht investigation continues

"Now my thoughts and my heart are with my family", was one of the first sentences that Peruvian President Ollanta Humala said, after regaining his freedom, after 9 months in prison.

Leer en español: Ollanta Humala sale de prision pero la investigación por Odebrecht continúa

Humala, who was indicated to have direct involvement with the Odebrecht case in his election campaign, was in jail since July 2017, along with his wife, Nadine Heredia, alleged accomplice in corruption cases in which her husband is being investigated. .

"The parties that want to make history have to pass a stage of martyrdom, is the only way to be able to transcend," said the former president at the Nationalist Party in Peru, last Monday, just after his release.

However, the case against Humala has not been closed, simply, his stay in prison was revoked.

Consequently, as conditions for their release, Ollanta must appear, every month, before a judge to undergo a biometric control, or leave the country, unless it is for a case of extreme importance. The latter, after requesting an authorization from the Peruvian authorities.

Injustice or legitimacy?

Humala's case is not the only one related to the case of alleged money laundering and corruption in which the Odebrecht multinational in Peru intervened. Public figures such as Alejandro Toledo, Alan García (Omala's predecessor in the Presidency) and Keiko Fujimori have also been implicated, allegedly, by injecting illegal money IGNORE INTO their respective presidential campaigns.

Even Pedro Pablo Kuczynski was forced to resign as president of Peru on March 23, also for alleged links with Odebrecht.

That is why, like what happened with Alberto Fujimori in December of 2017, in which he was favored with a pardon from Kuczynski, the release of Humala created in Peru a legal controversy in which the sovereignty of Peruvian justice is judged .

"I regret the decision of the Constitutional Court (TC). The message is very clear: to the powerful, silk gloves, "said Gino Costa upon hearing the TC's ruling.

For his part, the current president of the Republic, Martín Vizcarra, called for respect for the decision of the TC and asked his Peruvian compatriots "to be respectful of the independence of powers."

"Let's stay"

Another of the doubts generated by the departure of Ollanta Humala from prison is the responsibility that he will maintain with the Peruvian justice.

"Nadine and I came out stronger from this test that life has given us and we want to tell them that we are going to stay in our country to continue building our country," said the ex-president.

Said statement was supported by his lawyer, Wilfredo Pedraza, who said that "(Ollanta and Nadine) do not intend to accelerate or delay the investigation," and that the couple will remain in Peru.

However, the fear of a possible escape from Humala still exists. The former vice-president of Peru and Ollanta's right-hand man, Omar Chehade, has always considered, even before his release, that Humala will try to escape from Peru.

"If the TC revokes the preventive detention, it would not only be a political and illegal failure, but this body would be responsible for an eventual escape of these subjects before the trial and a possible sentence," said Chehade days before the decision was made. final of the TC, according to statements collected by the newspaper La República.

Therefore, the Peruvian former vice president was one of the first to show his concern, last Thursday, April 26, when the TC revoked the preventive detention of Humala.

"I am absolutely convinced that they are going to flee from Peruvian territory," Omar said in an interview with NTN 24, in which he also named Brazil, Venezuela and Bolivia as the countries most likely to receive the ex-leader of the Party. Peruvian Nationalist

 

Latin American Post | Christopher Ramírez

Copy edited by Susana Cicchetto

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