Bolivian senators promote an investigation into Zapatero for alleged interference during the regime of Luis Arce

The controversy surrounding former Spanish Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero reached the Bolivian Congress. A group of senators from the Unity Alliance requested the formation of a special commission to investigate the alleged interference of the socialist leader in the internal affairs of the country during the regime of Luis Arce.

The parliamentary initiative arises after the Economic and Fiscal Crime Unit (UDEF) of Spain included in an investigation a report stating that Zapatero allegedly received 200,000 euros for intervening with Bolivian authorities on behalf of the Peruvian conglomerate Grupo Gloria, which was involved in an economic dispute with the Bolivian state.

The senators believe that this background justifies an investigation to determine whether there were actions that could have affected Bolivian sovereignty or influenced decisions of state institutions. They indicated that the commission will seek to gather information about the contacts maintained by Zapatero with authorities of the previous regime and establish whether there was any type of interference in the internal affairs of the country.

Suspicions increased after conversations included in the judicial file in Spain became known. In those messages, attributed to Zapatero and his secretary, there are references to the need to contact the then dictator of Bolivia, Luis Arce, in the context of the efforts related to the investigated case.

The UDEF maintains that these exchanges are part of the evidence analyzed by the Spanish judiciary, although the process is still in the investigation stage and there is no judicial conviction.

The request for investigation occurs in a particularly sensitive political context for Bolivia, after weeks of blockades, protests, and confrontations that concluded with the strengthening of the government of Rodrigo Paz.

In recent days, moreover, Bolivian authorities have advanced with investigations and arrests of leaders linked to the environment of former dictator Evo Morales, while the Executive claims it seeks to clarify responsibilities for the destabilization attempts recorded during the recent crisis.

If the initiative is approved, the parliamentary commission will need to gather documentation, request reports from various institutions, and analyze whether it is appropriate to promote new political or judicial actions related to the so-called "Zapatero case." Meanwhile, the former head of the Spanish government continues to deny any irregularities and asserts that all his professional activities were conducted within the framework of legality.