The Government maintains this Friday its position on José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero intact after the extensive interview that the former president granted yesterday on 'Mañaneros 360' on TVE. La Moncloa upholds his presumption of innocence, supports his right to defend himself within the judicial procedure, and avoids taking the accusations against him as proven.
Sources from the Executive reiterated at the end of the conversation with Javier Ruiz that Zapatero deserves the same guarantees as any investigated person. "We support and ask for respect for the presumption of innocence of President Zapatero and his right to defend himself in the open procedure," the Government stated.
The response maintains the line set since the Audiencia Nacional opened the investigation. Moncloa separates the defense of procedural guarantees from the evaluation of each of the explanations offered by the former president, some of which will have to be accredited with documents and contrasted with the statements of the other investigated parties.
Hours before the interview, the third vice-president, Sara Aagesen, had asked Zapatero to tell the truth and answer the pending questions. She also defended the administrative procedure followed to grant the 53 million euro support to Plus Ultra during the pandemic, with reports first submitted to the SEPI management board and then to the Council of Ministers.
Zapatero denies any dealings with the Government
Zapatero began the interview with a strong defense of his professional actions. He denied having been corrupted, engaging in influence peddling, or speaking with any member of the Government, official, or SEPI responsible to secure the rescue of Plus Ultra.
"It's not that I didn't influence, it's that I didn't talk to anyone about the Plus Ultra rescue," he stated. The former president assured that he maintains an "absolute conviction" about his innocence and that the procedure will end up demonstrating that he never carried out an illicit action.
His version coincides with the one he offered in June before Judge José Luis Calama. Zapatero defended that his activity was limited to providing consulting and advisory services for Análisis Relevante, the company managed by Julio Martínez Martínez, 'Julito'.
He stated that he was never part of the company, did not sign contracts with its clients, nor participated in its capital. His collaboration, as he explained, consisted of offering analysis, professional contacts, and advice on international and business matters.
The investigation maintains a different version of his role. The judge initially placed him as a possible person responsible for a stable and hierarchical structure dedicated to obtaining benefits through political influence, a hypothesis that is still in the investigation phase.
The call to Santander that he does acknowledge
The former president admitted a specific action. He acknowledged that he called a Santander Bank executive to ask him to receive some people linked to the airline, although he disassociated that conversation from the public rescue later granted by SEPI.
Zapatero explained that the objective was to open a private financing channel. In his opinion, requesting a meeting with a banking entity falls within the usual work of a consultant and has no relation to any decision adopted by the Government.
He also denied having anticipated to the Plus Ultra officials that the Council of Ministers would approve the aid. The case must now clarify the meaning of the intercepted communications and the information that 'Julito' claimed to have received before the official decision.
The judicial break with 'Julito'
One of the most anticipated moments came when Javier Ruiz asked him about Julio Martínez, a friend for years and administrator of Análisis Relevante. The businessman declared this week before the Audiencia Nacional that Zapatero set the steps for the efforts to secure the rescue and that a 1% commission on the 53 million had been agreed upon.
The former president of Plus Ultra and the company's CEO have also submitted writings in which they attribute to Zapatero and 'Julito' the intention to charge for their accompanying work. One of them stated that he received a call from the former president in which he offered to carry out the appropriate procedures to help the airline.
Zapatero avoided entering into a personal confrontation. "I am not going to enter into Julio Martínez's defense strategy," he repeated on several occasions. He maintained that the friendship between them existed and that disavowing it now would clash with his code of conduct, although he made it clear that each investigated person must answer for their own statements.
The former president demanded that whoever makes an accusation prove it and assume the consequences when it lacks foundation. 'Julito' ratified his version before the judge, but admitted that he does not know with whom Zapatero would have carried out the alleged dealings within the Administration.
The jewels remain pending the judge's decision
The most incomplete answer came when addressing the jewels found in the safe of his office, initially valued at 1.3 million euros. Zapatero stated that they came from a "personal courtesy gift" received many years ago as a result of a friendship, although he refused to publicly identify the person or country of origin.
The former president cited respect for the procedure and assured that he would provide that information to the judge. He also denied that the pieces had a use, a planned destination, or a patrimonial purpose.
"They were there and that's it," he summarized. Zapatero maintained that he was unaware of their value and announced that the police appraisal would be disputed through another expert report. The jewels remain seized within the case.
He also ruled out any intention of hiding them from the Treasury, illegally introducing them into Spain, or using them to launder money. His defense will have to prove when he received them, who gave them to him, what their real value was, and what tax obligations could arise from that gift.
Javier Ruiz reminded him of the Code of Good Governance approved during his Presidency, which limited the acceptance of gifts by high-ranking officials. Zapatero acknowledged that, after reviewing what happened, he probably would have made a different decision.
The defense of his daughters and 'What The Fav'
The former president flatly rejected that his daughters were used as front persons or as a way to receive money that belonged to him. He assured that the company 'What The Fav' carried out real work for Análisis Relevante and for other clients and that he will present contracts, orders, and materials before the Audiencia Nacional.
"The last thing I needed was to try to make my daughters front persons," he replied ironically. He also asked 'Julito' to review the amounts he has attributed to the company and defended that all invoiced services will end up being accredited.
Zapatero admitted that the investigation has had a strong impact on his family. His daughters, he noted, face a very difficult situation, although they remain united and convinced of the legality of their professional activity.
The judge must now verify the correspondence between the payments received, the work provided, and the invoices issued. The former president's public statement provides his version, while the documentary evidence will have to be incorporated into the procedure.
'Offshore' companies and the jab at Felipe González
Zapatero described the accusation as an "absolute invention" that he ordered the creation of an opaque company to receive money outside of Spain. He compared that version to claiming he had given instructions to travel to the Moon.
The former president stated that he had never studied how an 'offshore' company works and that he lacked the knowledge to design such an operation. The question allowed him to respond ironically to Felipe González, who had said he didn't see him capable of setting up complex financial engineering.
"He might know about that, I certainly don't," Zapatero replied before agreeing with him about his lack of experience in these structures. It was one of the few political references unrelated to the core of the case during the interview.
Leaked agendas and the defense of his secretary
Zapatero dedicated a good part of his intervention to denouncing the leak of two complete years of his personal agendas and private conversations with his secretary, Gertrudis Alcázar. He estimated the exposed material at 730 days, about 600 activities, and around 150 affected people, many of whom were unrelated to the investigation. Among the disseminated messages were data about his health, his family, device passwords, and his father's condition.
Judge Calama has already asked the UDEF to exclude from its reports private information unrelated to the 'Plus Ultra case'. Zapatero defended that the investigation must continue with all guarantees and called for reflection on the dissemination of personal content obtained during a judicial search.
He also closed ranks with Alcázar, who is under investigation in the case. He described her as an "exemplary," loyal, and deserving of respect worker, in contrast to the suspicions built from some of her private messages.
Why it took him 65 days to speak
Zapatero justified the silence maintained since the search of his office as part of his procedural strategy. He explained that his lawyers advised him to avoid public statements while preparing his defense and appearing before the judge.
The former president maintained that he chose to collaborate with Justice and reserve the most delicate documents for the procedure. The interview finally broke that silence after the new statements by 'Julito' and those responsible for Plus Ultra. Zapatero admitted to being worried and described the situation as unforeseen and very tough. He also assured that he would approach the process like any citizen obliged to answer before a court within a rule of law.
The support of President Sánchez and the PSOE
The former president thanked Pedro Sánchez and numerous socialist leaders for their support. He confirmed that he had recently spoken with the President of the Government, although he avoided specifying when that conversation took place or what matters they discussed.
Zapatero asked that the PSOE's support be based on facts and not on an act of faith or personal affection. "I suffer a lot thinking that the Socialist Party could suffer because of the situation I am in," he admitted.
The socialist leadership maintained its support after the interview. In a statement, Ferraz expressed its "absolute respect" for the judicial procedure and defended the presumption of innocence of the former secretary general. Montse Mínguez assured that she had seen a "brave", "convinced" Zapatero willing to prove his innocence. Patxi López recalled that it is up to the accuser to provide the evidence and took for granted that the former president would complete his explanations before the judge.
The PSOE also expressed its concern about the leaking of the agendas and denounced that parallel trials can violate fundamental rights. The decision on the facts, Ferraz pointed out, rests exclusively with the courts.
Sumar keeps its distance
The minority partner of the Government showed a much more demanding position. Before the interview, the Minister of Culture, Ernest Urtasun, pointed out that Zapatero owed explanations to Spanish society and asked to hear his answers.
After the broadcast, Alberto Ibáñez stated that "many unknowns" remained open and that the former president's words had not convinced him. Sumar's deputy spokesperson specifically asked for clarification on the origin and purpose of the jewels. Ibáñez also introduced a clarification regarding the accusation of influence peddling. Until now, none of the testimonies has identified the specific person in the Government or SEPI who would have received and attended to the alleged pressures.
Mónica García, Minister of Health and leader of Más Madrid, assured that the situation remained the same as the previous day because there was still a lack of evidence to support Zapatero's version. Tesh Sidi raised the tone against the former president and questioned how anyone could accept jewels of that value without explaining who delivered them and why.
The opposition redoubles its offensive
The PP presented the interview as an operation to protect Zapatero and Sánchez. Ester Muñoz called it a "mockery" and Alberto Núñez Feijóo stated that the former president had left TVE "with more problems than yesterday."
Zapatero responded directly to the PP leader for having stated that he had committed a crime. He demanded respect for the presumption of innocence and recalled that no one can be considered guilty before a firm sentence.
Feijóo replied hours later that he respected that guarantee in the judicial field, although he considered the former president's political situation "unsustainable." The PP maintains its attempt to link the alleged influences with a member of the Council of Ministers.
The far-right Vox accused RTVE of organizing a whitewashing operation and used the interview to extend its attacks to the entire Government. Pepa Millán again spoke of a "corrupt macro-plot," while Santiago Abascal described public television as an institution at the service of a "mafia."
The Audiencia Nacional will now have to contrast Zapatero's statements with 'Julito's' declarations, the writings of Plus Ultra executives, the intercepted messages, and the documentation presented by his daughters. The origin of the jewels, the invoiced work, and the identity of the alleged recipient of the influences remain among the main pending questions of the investigation.
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