Former Spanish Prime Minister José Luis Zapatero Rejects Corruption and Lobbying Allegations Before Senate

The hearing of José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero before the Senate committee investigating the Koldo case turned into one of the hottest political events in Spain in recent years. The main line of inquiry is the former prime minister's role in the process of granting 53 million euros in public aid to the controversial airline Plus Ultra in 2021. Zapatero repeatedly described the accusations against him as „enormes falsedades” (enormous lies), emphasizing that he never lobbied the current government on behalf of this company. However, the politician had to face questions about his income. He admitted that he received an annual remuneration of 70,000 euros from a company owned by a close friend, who is currently implicated in the investigation. The nature of the services he provided raises the greatest suspicions among the opposition; Zapatero stated that most of his income came from preparing „oral reports” for anonymous clients, which critics see as a form of legalized lobbying. During his testimony, the former prime minister also addressed sensational revelations by Victor de Aldama, the main suspect in the affair, who claimed to have delivered a package to Zapatero from Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodríguez. The politician called these claims „patraña” (nonsense) and presented a letter from the former head of Venezuelan intelligence, purporting to prove that he does not own shares in gold mines. At the same time, Zapatero admitted that he „facilitated” a meeting between a representative of Air Europa and Nicolás Maduro, arguing that it was in the interest of Spain's economic interests. However, he firmly denied any involvement in any system of illegal financing of the PSOE. Since 2011, after leaving office, Zapatero has been actively involved in mediation in Latin America, particularly in Venezuela, which for years has sparked conflicts with the Spanish right, accusing him of legitimizing the regime there.The right-wing opposition from the People's Party deemed the testimony unreliable. Representatives of the PP even stated that the evidence suggests Zapatero enriched himself through contacts with the regime in Caracas and predict he will face criminal liability before the Audiencia Nacional. Meanwhile, the ruling camp accused the conservatives of „political persecution” and unethical attacks on the former prime minister's family. Zapatero defended his loyalty to the party and Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, emphasizing that attacks on his daughters are a form of political harassment, as they have never benefited from public contracts. „Todo lo que se ha dicho de mí sobre Plus Ultra son falsedades, enormes falsedades” (Everything that has been said about me regarding Plus Ultra is false, enormous falsehoods) — José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero