MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Humala's wife arrives in Brazil, where she was granted asylum

Brazil has a tradition of granting asylum to high-profile political leaders facing jail time in their countries

Former Peruvian First Lady Nadine Heredia arrived in Brazil on Wednesday after seeking asylum to avoid serving a 15-year prison sentence handed down on her and her husband Ollanta Humala, who has already been transferred to the Barbadilo prison already housing former heads of State Alejandro Toledo and Pedro Castillo Terrones.

 Heredia and her son Samir flew aboard a Brazilian Air Force (FAB) aircraft made available after the Peruvian Government granted the necessary safe conduct. The Humalas were convicted of corruption after taking bribes from Brazilian construction company Odebrecht as well as from the Venezuelan Government, then under Commander Hugo Chávez.

Brazil has a history of granting asylum to figures like Alfredo Stroessner and Lucio Gutiérrez. It is still unknown whether Heredia will settle in Brasilia or somewhere else in the country.

The Odebrecht scandal spread throughout South America, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva himself serving 580 days in prison after the ruling against him was overturned by the Superior Federal Court (STF), citing several procedural irregularities.

Former Paraguayan dictator Alfredo Stroessner sought asylum in Brazil after being overthrown in 1989. He died in Brasilia in 2006 and was buried there. Former Paraguayan President Raúl Cubas, who resigned in 1999, and former General Lino Oviedo, accused of attempting a coup d'état against the government of Juan Carlos Wasmosy in 1996, also found shelter in Brazil. Ecuador's Lucio Gutiérrez also arrived in Brazil after being ousted in 2005.

Faithful to this diplomatic tradition, Brazil has taken over custody of the Peruvian and Argentine Embassies in Caracas, after those countries' missions were expelled from Venezuela following the controversial electoral process whereby Nicolás Maduro stayed in power. The Argentine premises also house five Venezuelan opponents who have been granted asylum by Buenos Aires but still need a safe passage to the airport, which Maduro is unwilling to grant.