According to investigators, foreign companies were required to channel business proposals through the former socialist president's network.
The case particularly mentions a letter sent in October 2023 by the Chinese firm International Cultural Technology Resources Group Co. Ltd. directly addressed to the "Office of President Zapatero," linked to oil negotiations with Venezuela.
This document appeared just two weeks after Zapatero traveled to Beijing invited by the Chinese Communist Party, where he held meetings with high-ranking officials of the Asian regime.
For the Spanish judiciary, that trip would have solidified his role as a political and commercial bridge between Caracas and Beijing.
The judiciary advances on the Plus Ultra plot
The judicial investigation against Zapatero is part of the so-called Plus Ultra case, which has already generated significant political repercussions in Spain due to suspicions of corruption, influence peddling, and the use of international structures for business linked to authoritarian governments.
The National Court is trying to determine whether there was a network of political and financial intermediation that used diplomatic and business contacts to facilitate operations linked to the Venezuelan regime and foreign companies.
In parallel, the UDEF is analyzing transfers from the United Arab Emirates, Peru, and other international jurisdictions.
The judicial advance hits the historic socialist leader
The situation represents one of the biggest scandals affecting a former Spanish president in recent years and threatens to deepen the erosion of Spanish socialism, especially due to Zapatero's repeated connections with Latin American dictatorships such as Venezuela and Cuba.
In recent years, the former PSOE leader has become one of the main international defenders of Chavismo and has maintained ongoing contacts with Nicolás Maduro, in addition to acting in regional political negotiations.
Now, suspicions about international transfers, oil operations, and links with Chinese companies place Zapatero under increasing judicial and political pressure.
