The far-right Vox turns Zapatero's interview into another attack against RTVE and Pedro Sánchez

The far-right Vox has reacted to José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero's interview on 'Mañaneros 360' with an offensive against the former president, Pedro Sánchez, and RTVE itself. Pepa Millán has accused the former head of government of appearing on television "as if he were a star" and Santiago Abascal has defined the public corporation as a medium "solely at the service of the mafia."

Santiago Abascal's party has deemed all explanations offered by Zapatero invalid and has presented the interview as an operation to protect him. It has also taken advantage of the appearance to extend its accusations to the entire Council of Ministers, although the known proceedings still do not identify the public official on whom the alleged influence would have been exerted.

From "star" to "corrupt macro-plot"

Millán assured this Thursday in Congress that Zapatero still has not clarified his intervention in the rescue of Plus Ultra, the origin of the jewels found in his office, and the work of his daughters. The spokesperson has included all these matters in what she has called a "corrupt macro-plot," a political qualification that will still have to be confronted with the result of the judicial investigation.

She also reproached the former president for having "paraded on television sets" when, according to her words, he should be testifying before the judge. Zapatero already appeared as an investigated party in the Audiencia Nacional last June and this Thursday he publicly explained part of his version for the first time.

During the interview with Javier Ruiz, he denied having spoken with SEPI or government officials to favor the 53 million loan granted to the airline. He defended that his intervention was limited to consulting tasks and facilitating contact with a Santander Bank executive.

Regarding the jewels initially valued at 1.3 million euros, he stated that they came from a "personal courtesy gift" received years ago. He reserved the identity of the person who gave them to him for the court and announced an alternative expert valuation.

Zapatero also denied that his daughters were used as straw persons. He assured that the company What The Fav will provide the contracts, assignments, and works that justify the amounts received, explanations that the judge will have to verify along with police reports and the writings presented by other investigated parties.

Vox Tries Once Again to Take the Case to Sánchez

The far-right has gone beyond the doubts that remain open. Millán has stated that the alleged plot could never have worked without "the mediation, consent, or tolerance" of Pedro Sánchez and without the intervention of the Council of Ministers.

The Government approved the rescue of Plus Ultra during the pandemic after the file processed by SEPI. This administrative fact does not in itself prove that any member of the Executive received pressure or acted outside the procedure, and none of the known testimonies have specified who would have handled Zapatero's alleged dealings.

Alberto Ibáñez himself, deputy spokesperson for Sumar, recalled this Thursday that no specific person who received the investigated influence has yet been named. The Audiencia Nacional will have to determine if these dealings existed, to whom they were directed, and if they had any effect on the final decision.

Vox has omitted these limits in constructing its political accusation. Jorge Buxadé had already described the PSOE this morning as a "socialist mafia" and had presented Julio Martínez, 'Julito', as a kind of protected witness, despite the fact that the businessman also appears as an investigated party and his statement responds to his own defense strategy.

Abascal Takes His Attack to RTVE

After the broadcast, Abascal directly attacked public television. The far-right leader accused RTVE of serving a "mafia" and of protecting and whitewashing Zapatero, without evaluating the specific content of the questions asked for more than an hour.

The offensive had begun before the former president sat on the set. Javier Ruiz has denounced the political pressures received by the program and has rejected that the interview was agreed upon, conditioned, or previously negotiated.

"This interview has not been agreed upon. This interview has not been fudged," the journalist stated before receiving Zapatero. He also expressly pointed out the criticisms from PP and Vox, who were already describing the tone of the conversation before the first question was asked.

"Let journalists do their job," Ruiz demanded before starting the interview.