Venezuela's Delcy Rodríguez moves to sue Aldama over PDVSA envelope claims, hires former judge Garzón
The interim president of Venezuela has filed a pre-lawsuit conciliation request in Madrid, accusing businessman Víctor de Aldama of defamation for saying she handed him a PDVSA envelope linked to alleged illegal PSOE financing.
The conciliation hearing
A Madrid court has set 16 July 2026 at 10:00 for a conciliation hearing between Delcy Rodríguez and Víctor de Aldama. The hearing is a procedural step before Rodríguez can file a criminal defamation complaint. Neither party is required to attend in person; lawyers may represent them. Rodríguez's legal team, from the firm of former judge Baltasar Garzón, filed the request after Aldama made statements on television and in court that she says are false.
The assertion that Mrs Delcy Eloína Rodríguez Gómez handed over the indicated envelope to the respondent is untrue, false, or not in accordance with reality.
Aldama's allegations and the envelope
Aldama claimed in two television programmes on 4 and 5 February 2026, and later in testimony before National Court judge Ismael Moreno, that Rodríguez personally gave him an envelope from Venezuela's state oil company PDVSA. He said the envelope contained a million-dollar oil quota and documents pointing to irregular financing of the Socialist International and the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE). In March 2026, Aldama handed the envelope to Judge Moreno as part of the secret investigation into cash payments at the PSOE's Madrid headquarters.
My client handed over a specific envelope whose content would be material, documentation, or information related to evidence of activities that could constitute criminal offences by individuals and entities that would or could be the subject of one or more judicial investigations in Spain.
The legal strategy
Rodríguez has retained Ilocad, the law firm of Baltasar Garzón, the former judge who was disqualified by Spain's Supreme Court. Sources close to Aldama interpret the move as a political manoeuvre. Aldama's defence received the citation last week and must now decide how to respond without jeopardising his cooperation with Judge Moreno's court. Aldama, already convicted in the mask procurement case, has said he will continue collaborating with the justice system.
The wider investigation
The envelope is part of two sprawling National Court probes: the 'Koldo case', examining alleged kickbacks in mask contracts, and the 'hydrocarbons case', focused on PDVSA. A Guardia Civil report had earlier described a brown envelope bearing the names of former PDVSA president Manuel Quevedo and then vice-president Delcy Rodríguez, held by Aldama's associate Luis Alberto Escolano. Aldama has linked the envelope's contents to financing of the Socialist International, which Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has chaired since 2022.
- Aldama first mentions the envelope during testimony in the 'hydrocarbons case' at the National Court.
- Aldama states on television that Rodríguez handed him the PDVSA envelope.
- Aldama repeats the claim in a second TV interview.
- Aldama delivers the envelope to Judge Ismael Moreno in the secret PSOE payments investigation.
- News breaks that Rodríguez has filed a conciliation request and hired Garzón's firm.
- Conciliation hearing scheduled in a Madrid court.
Political fallout
The legal clash revives scrutiny of the relationship between Venezuela's leadership and Spain's ruling party. Aldama has testified that he organised Rodríguez's January 2020 visit to Madrid, including a dinner with several ministers. The conciliation hearing will test whether the businessman retracts his statements or faces a formal criminal complaint for defamation.
