Spanish justice found sensitive documentation in the office of the former president as the investigation into corruption, influence peddling, and business linked to chavismo progresses.
The judicial investigation against former Spanish president José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero took an even more explosive turn after agents from the Economic and Fiscal Crime Unit (UDEF) opened a safe located in the personal office of the historic socialist leader. The operation, carried out under the orders of the National Court as part of the “Plus Ultra case,” further heightened political tension in Spain and deepened the crisis facing Pedro Sánchez's government.
The investigators found in the safe documentation considered “highly sensitive,” including international contracts, financial records, private communications, and material linked to operations related to Venezuela and Chinese companies. The Justice Department suspects that some of these documents may be connected to alleged influence peddling and money laundering schemes that have been under investigation for months.
Jewels found in Zapatero's office
The discovery continues the crisis within the PSOE as the investigation is no longer limited solely to the controversial state bailout of the Plus Ultra airline during the pandemic, but also encompasses alleged international business networks linked to Venezuelan chavismo and companies associated with the Chinese Communist Party.
The UDEF claims that Zapatero would have used a structure of consulting firms and shell companies to act as an intermediary in oil operations linked to PDVSA and businessmen close to the Venezuelan regime. According to the investigation, potential buyers of Venezuelan oil were even required to communicate in advance with the so-called “Office of President Zapatero” before proceeding with business negotiations.
The opening of the safe quickly became one of the most symbolic moments of the case due to Zapatero's significant political weight within Spanish socialism. Various Spanish media described the procedure as an “unprecedented” event for a former head of government in a democracy.
Zapatero next to Pedro Sánchez
Meanwhile, the opposition intensified its criticism against Pedro Sánchez and the PSOE. The leader of the Popular Party, Alberto Núñez Feijóo, stated that “Spain is experiencing a historic institutional degradation,” while Vox directly accused socialism of maintaining an “international corruption network linked to chavismo.”
Despite the impact of the case, Pedro Sánchez's government continues to publicly support Zapatero and calls for respect for the presumption of innocence. However, political pressure on La Moncloa increases every day as the judicial investigation continues to advance and threatens to further affect the stability of the socialist Executive.
