Peru says ex-president Alan Garcia has now sought asylum in Uruguay

LIMA, PERU — Former Peruvian President Alan Garcia has sought asylum in Uruguay’s diplomatic mission hours after a judge retained his passport as part of a corruption probe, Peru’s foreign ministry announced Sunday.

The ministry said it was informed by Uruguay’s ambassador that Garcia entered his residence Saturday night seeking protection. It vowed to provide unspecified information to Uruguay as it evaluates Garcia’s request.

Late Saturday, a judge in Lima granted prosecutors’ request that Garcia be banned from leaving Peru for 18 months as investigators probe allegations he received illegal payment from Brazilian construction giant Odebrecht, which is at the centre of Latin America’s biggest corruption scandal.