Ollanta Humala facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Ollanta Humala
Humala in 2016
58th President of Peru
In office 28 July 2011 – 28 July 2016
Prime Minister	See list Salomón Lerner Ghitis Oscar Valdés Juan Jiménez Mayor César Villanueva René Cornejo Ana Jara Pedro Cateriano
Vice President	First Vice President Marisol Espinoza Second Vice President Omar Chehade (2011 – 2012) Vacant (2012 – 2016)
Preceded by	Alan García
Succeeded by	Pedro Pablo Kuczynski
President of the Peruvian Nationalist Party
Incumbent
Assumed office 26 August 2016
Preceded by	Nadine Heredia
In office 3 October 2005 – 30 December 2013
Preceded by	Office created
Succeeded by	Nadine Heredia
Additional positions President pro tempore of the Union of South American Nations In office 29 June 2012 – 30 August 2013 Preceded by Fernando Lugo Succeeded by Dési Bouterse President pro tempore of the Pacific Alliance In office 3 July 2015 – 1 July 2016 Preceded by Enrique Peña Nieto Succeeded by Michelle Bachelet
Personal details
Born	(1962-06-27) 27 June 1962 (age 62) Lima, Peru
Nationality	Peruvian
Political party	Peruvian Nationalist Party
Other political affiliations	Peru Wins (2010–2012) Union for Peru (2006)
Spouse	Nadine Heredia ​ (m. 1999)​
Children	3
Alma mater	Chorrillos Military School (BS) Pontifical Catholic University of Peru (MA)
Signature
Military service
Allegiance	Peru
Branch/service	Peruvian Army
Years of service	1981–2005
Rank	Lieutenant colonel
Battles/wars	Internal conflict in Peru Cenepa War

Ollanta Moisés Humala Tasso (born 27 June 1962) is a Peruvian politician and former military officer. He served as the President of Peru from 2011 to 2016. He started his political journey with ideas that focused on helping ordinary people and national pride. Over time, his views shifted more towards the center. In 2025, he and his wife, Nadine Heredia, were found guilty of money laundering related to a Brazilian company.

Humala comes from a well-known political family. His father, Isaac Humala, was a lawyer and a leader of a political movement. Ollanta joined the Peruvian Army in 1981 and became a lieutenant colonel. During his military career, he fought against a rebel group called Shining Path and in a border conflict with Ecuador called the Cenepa War. In 2000, he led a small uprising against the then-president, Alberto Fujimori. Later, the Peruvian Congress gave him a pardon, and he went back to his military job.

In 2005, Humala entered politics and started the Peruvian Nationalist Party. He ran for president in 2006 but lost to Alan García. In the 2011 Peruvian general election, he ran again and won, narrowly defeating Keiko Fujimori. His time as president faced challenges, including concerns about corruption involving him and his wife. Environmental groups also criticized his policies on mining. After his presidency, he faced legal issues. In 2021, he tried to become president again but did not win.

Early Life and Education

Ollanta Humala was born in Lima, Peru, on 27 June 1962. His father, Isaac Humala, is of Quechua background and was a labor lawyer. His mother, Elena Tasso, comes from an old Italian family in Peru. Ollanta has two brothers, Antauro Humala and Ulises Humala. He attended the French-Peruvian school Franco-Peruano and later the "Colegio Cooperativo La Union" in Lima.

He began his military training in 1980 at the Chorrillos Military School. In 1983, he studied at the School of the Americas (SOA). He became an Artillery lieutenant on 1 January 1984.

Later, he continued his education. In 1997, he earned a diploma in Business Administration from ESAN Graduate School of Business. In 2001, he completed a master's degree in National Defense. In 2002, he earned a master's degree in political science from the Pontifical Catholic University of Peru.

Military Service

During his time in the military, Humala was involved in two important conflicts in Peru. He fought against the rebel group Shining Path and participated in the 1995 Cenepa War with Ecuador. In 1991, as a captain, he served in Tingo María fighting the Shining Path. In 1995, he served on the border with Ecuador during the Cenepa War.

The 2000 Uprising

In October 2000, Humala led an uprising in Toquepala. This happened during the final days of President Alberto Fujimori's rule, which was marked by many corruption issues. Humala's main reason for the rebellion was the return of Vladimiro Montesinos, a former intelligence chief. Montesinos had fled Peru but was caught and brought back. People worried he still had too much power. Humala and about 40 soldiers rebelled against their senior officers.

Many of Humala's soldiers left him, leaving him with only seven. During the uprising, Humala called for "patriots" to join him. About 300 former soldiers, led by his brother Antauro, tried to join him. The rebellion gained some support from the Peruvian people. An important newspaper, La República, called him "valiant and decisive." Many readers sent letters praising Humala and his men.

The Army sent hundreds of soldiers to capture the rebels. However, Humala and his men managed to hide until President Fujimori was removed from office a few days later. Valentín Paniagua became the temporary president. On 10 December, both Humala brothers surrendered. They were taken to Lima and faced charges for rebellion. Their lawyer argued for amnesty, saying they had the right to rebel against an unfair government. On 21 December 2000, the Congress granted them amnesty. This allowed Humala to return to his military duties.

After Fujimori's Government

After the Fujimori government, Humala was sent as a military representative to Paris, France, and then to Seoul, South Korea. In December 2004, he was forced to retire from the military. Many believe his forced retirement partly led to a rebellion in January 2005. This rebellion was led by his brother Antauro Humala.

Political Career

2006 Presidential Campaign

In October 2005, Ollanta Humala created the Peruvian Nationalist Party (PNP). He ran for president in the 2006 elections with support from the Union for Peru (UPP) party.

On 9 April 2006, the first round of the election took place. Humala came in first place, receiving 30.62% of the votes. He then prepared to face Alan García, who got 24.32%, in a second round on 4 June.

On 4 June 2006, the second round was held. With most votes counted, Humala was behind García. Humala accepted his defeat and congratulated his opponent. He stated, "we recognize the results... and we salute the forces that competed against us, those of Mr. Garcia."

After the 2006 Election

On 12 June 2006, Carlos Torres Caro, who was Humala's running mate and elected Congressman, announced that some members of the UPP would form a new group. This happened because of disagreements with Humala. The split occurred after Humala called for leftist parties to join the UPP to become the main opposition in Congress. Humala met with representatives from the Communist Party and other left-wing groups. He said the opposition would work to "make sure Garcia complies with his electoral promises." He also confirmed he would not boycott García's inauguration.

On 16 August 2006, prosecutors in Peru filed charges against Humala for alleged human rights abuses. Humala denied the charges. He said he was "a victim of political persecution" and that the charges were "orchestrated by the Alan Garcia administration to neutralize any alternative to his power."

2011 Election

Ollanta Humala with his wife, Nadine Heredia.

Humala ran for president again in the 2011 Peruvian general election on 10 April 2011. His running mates were Marisol Espinoza for First Vice President and Omar Chehade for Second Vice President.

For these elections, he formed an alliance called "Gana Peru" around his Peruvian Nationalist Party. He also signed agreements with several other left-wing parties.

Humala finished first in the first round on 10 April, getting 31.72% of the votes. Since he did not get more than 50%, he went to a second round. He faced Keiko Fujimori on 5 June.

On 19 May, at the National University of San Marcos, Humala signed the "Commitment in Defense of Democracy." Many Peruvian thinkers and artists supported this, including Mario Vargas Llosa. Humala campaigned as a leader who wanted to create a fairer system for sharing the country's natural resources. His goal was to keep foreign investment and economic growth while improving conditions for many poor Peruvians.

Leading up to the 5 June runoff election, polls showed him in a close race with Keiko Fujimori. He was elected the 94th president of Peru with 51.5% of the vote.

Three days after his election, Humala traveled around Latin America. He met with leaders from Brazil, Uruguay, Paraguay, Argentina, Chile, Bolivia, Ecuador, Colombia, the United States, Venezuela, Mexico, and Cuba.

Presidency (2011–2016)

Humala meets with Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda in Tokyo, 9 May 2012.

After Humala's election, the Lima Stock Exchange saw a big drop. However, it later became stable when he announced his cabinet members, who were seen as moderate. He also faced many disputes related to mining and oil extraction. These disputes came from indigenous groups concerned about damage to water, crops, and hunting grounds. Humala had promised to give poor Peruvians a bigger share in the growing economy. His promise for change was seen as a call for moderate change. This was reflected in his cabinet choices and his public promise to respect investor rights and the law. He was sworn in on 28 July 2011.

As part of his promise for "social inclusion," his government created the Ministry of Development and Social Inclusion. This ministry aimed to make his social programs more effective. Salomon Lerner Ghitis was his first Prime Minister. He resigned on 10 December 2011, and Óscar Valdés took over.

On 23 July 2012, Juan Jiménez Mayor became the head of a new cabinet, the third in less than a year.

On 24 July 2013, for the first time in Peru's history, a cabinet had an equal number of men and women (9 men and 9 women, plus the prime minister). This happened with the appointment of three new ministers.

On 31 October 2013, César Villanueva became the fourth Prime Minister under Humala.

On 24 February 2014, the fifth cabinet was sworn in, led by René Cornejo. This cabinet finally won the support of Congress on 17 March.

On 22 July 2014, René Cornejo resigned. Ana Jara replaced him as Prime Minister.

On 30 March 2015, Congress voted to remove Prime Minister Ana Jara and her entire cabinet. This was due to concerns about the National Intelligence Directorate (DINI) monitoring politicians and journalists. This had not happened since 1963. Pedro Cateriano became Prime Minister on 2 April 2015.

Ollanta Humala was initially seen as a socialist and a nationalist who focused on the left-wing. However, during his presidency, he was seen as moving towards more central and free-market policies.

Political Ideas

Ollanta Humala showed support for the government of Juan Velasco Alvarado. Velasco Alvarado took power in 1968 and nationalized various Peruvian industries. He also had friendly foreign relations with countries like Cuba and the Soviet Union.

During his presidential campaigns in 2006 and 2011, Humala was connected with other leaders in Latin America who shared similar political ideas. Before becoming president in 2011, he visited several countries in the Americas. He talked about the idea of reuniting the Peru–Bolivian Confederation. He also visited Brazil, Colombia, the United States, and Venezuela.

After Presidency (2016-Present)

Legal Challenges

In February 2016, a report from the Brazilian Federal Police suggested that Humala was involved in bribery. This was related to public works contracts with a company called Odebrecht. President Humala denied these accusations.

In July 2017, Humala and his wife were arrested. This was part of investigations into the Odebrecht scandal. On 26 April 2018, a court ordered his release from pre-trial detention. His wife was placed under house arrest, and Humala had to report to court monthly.

In January 2019, Peruvian prosecutors stated they had enough evidence to charge Humala and his wife with money laundering. This involved money from both Odebrecht and the government of Venezuela. In May 2019, prosecutors asked for prison sentences for them. The case is still ongoing.

Ollanta Humala was investigated for alleged money laundering and being part of an illegal group. However, many of Odebrecht's main projects happened during the presidencies of Alberto Fujimori and Alan García. In February 2022, Humala and his wife faced trial for alleged money laundering related to Odebrecht. They were accused of receiving $3 million during the 2006 and 2011 elections. Both denied their involvement.

On 15 April 2025, Humala and his wife, Nadine Heredia, were found guilty. They were sentenced to 15 years in prison for money laundering in the Odebrecht scandal. The next day, Heredia and their underage son fled to Brasília, Brazil, after Brazil granted them diplomatic asylum.

Publications

• Ollanta Humala: From Locumba to Presidential Candidate in Peru (2009)
• Ollanta Uniting Peru: the great transformation: Peru of all of us: government plan, 2006-2011 (2006) (Collaborator)

Awards and Honors

•  Argentina:
  • Collar of the Order of the Liberator General San Martín (2012)
•  Colombia:
  • Grand Collar of the Order of Boyaca (2014)
•  Panama:
  • Collar of the Order of Manuel Amador Guerrero (2014)
•  Portugal:
  • Grand Collar of the Order of Prince Henry (2012)
•  Qatar:
  • Collar of the Order of the Independence (2013)
•  South Korea:
  • Recipient of the Grand Order of Mugunghwa (2015)
•  Spain:
  • Collar of the Order of Isabella the Catholic (2015)

Electoral History

See Also

In Spanish: Ollanta Humala para niños

• Presidency of Ollanta Humala