By Dacia Richards | HGP Nightly News – Wednesday Edition
Regional News Wrap: Former Peruvian President Jailed, Ecuador Election Dispute, and Caribbean Reparations Push
Major developments out of Peru—where yet another former president is headed to jail.
Peru: Ex-President Humala Sentenced to 50 Years
A Peruvian court on Tuesday sentenced former President Ollanta Humala to 50 years in prison for accepting illicit campaign funds from Brazilian construction firm Odebrecht, also known as Novonor. The funds were used during his successful 2011 presidential campaign.
His wife, Nadine Heredia, was sentenced to 15 years, but soon after, she sought asylum at the Brazilian embassy in Lima. Brazil is currently negotiating safe passage for her departure.
Humala, who led the country from 2011 to 2016, has denied the charges, calling the trial politically motivated. His conviction makes him the second Peruvian ex-president to be jailed, and the fourth implicated in the sweeping Lava Jato corruption scandal.
Ecuador: Election Recount Demand Fizzles
Over in Ecuador, Luisa González’s call for a recount in the presidential election appears to be losing steam. Although she claimed electoral fraud after trailing opponent Daniel Noboa by over one million votes, González has offered no evidence and has not called for protests.
With over 99% of votes counted, Noboa held steady with 55.6%, while González remained at 44.4%. Even her party members are beginning to acknowledge Noboa’s win, which aligns with Organization of American States (OAS) observations that the vote was free and fair.
Global Reparations Push at Defining Moment
Finally, in New York, Caribbean and African leaders are intensifying calls for reparations for slavery. Speaking at a United Nations forum, CARICOM and African Union (AU) representatives said the world has reached a defining moment in the fight to hold former colonial powers accountable.
Hillary Brown, a Caribbean reparations official, emphasized the joint CARICOM-AU approach as a critical strategy to advance the agenda through a unified voice—calling for tech transfers, investments in education, and addressing public health crises.
While many European countries remain resistant to the idea of reparations, advocates say the legacy of slavery—structural racism and economic inequality—must be addressed.
