Peru’s Supreme Court ruled today that ex-presidential candidate Ollanta Humala will be tried with his brother, Antauro, for the 2005 armed assault on a remote police station in the southern town of Andahuaylas, in Apurímac Department. Humala is to be charged with being the mastermind behind the assault.
According to Agencia Andina, the State prosecutor, Gladys Fernández, requested a separate trial for Ollanta, 44, arguing it would allow for a faster trial of Antauro, 43, who led the assault. Supreme Court judge, Javier Villa Stein, denied Fernández’s request saying it would further delay the trial, which hasn’t progressed for almost three years.
Antauro is currently being held at the Piedras Gordas maximum security prison. However, he could be released in early January due to a Peruvian law that prevents imprisonment without a conviction for more than three years.
On Jan. 1, 2005 Antauro Humala, a former army major, stormed a police station with 160-member ultra-nationalist followers, demanding the resignation of former President Alejandro Toledo, who they accused of corruption and selling out Peru to Chilean business interests. The assault left six people dead including four police. During the ensuing standoff, Antauro was caught by news cameras saying that he was acting on his brother’s orders.
Ollanta, who leads the Peruvian Nationalist Party, was Peru’s military attaché in South Korea at the time, and was facing forced retirement. During Antauro’s siege, Ollanta made a public call to army reservists back home to start a “popular insurrection” against Toledo’s government.
But Ollanta quickly backed down and distanced himself from Antauro’s action after the four police were killed. He has steadfastly denied any direct involvement ever since.
Fernández has requested that Antauro serve a 35-year prison sentence and pay a fine of 850,000 soles, or about $280,000, on charges of rebellion, collusion and first degree murder. The prosecution has still not requested a sentence for Ollanta.
