The Government maintains its support for Zapatero while the judge tracks his accounts and Sánchez distances himself: "I am not his spokesperson"

The Government reaches this Thursday maintaining its public support for José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, although the investigation by the Audiencia Nacional has taken a new step regarding the accounts of the former president and his circle. Judge José Luis Calama has authorized the UDEF to request information from a dozen banks on 57 financial products related to those investigated in the 'Plus Ultra case'.

The diligence affects six accounts of Zapatero, nine of his daughters, seven of his secretary, two of the businessman Julio Martínez Martínez, and another 33 belonging to different companies. The Police want to cross-reference the movements obtained so far through tax information and financial intelligence and clarify several operations that it considers insufficiently explained.

The new judicial decision comes just one day after Pedro Sánchez reiterated his support for the former president during his political balance appearance at La Moncloa. The head of the Executive defended his presumption of innocence, but visibly lowered the tone used during the first weeks of the investigation.

"I am not President Zapatero's spokesperson," Sánchez replied when asked about the explanations offered regarding the jewels found in the office of the former socialist leader. The president maintained the support of the Government and the PSOE, although he recalled that it is up to Zapatero himself to answer before the judge and publicly clarify his private activities.

The UDEF reconstructs the money movements

The authorization granted by Calama will allow investigators to directly access banking documentation and verify the identity of the account holders, movements, transfers, and destination of the funds. The opening of this diligence seeks to verify police data and clear up existing suspicions, without yet representing a conclusion about the illicit origin of the money.

The UDEF report states that Zapatero received a total of 490,780 euros from Análisis Relevante between 2020 and 2025, the consultancy administered by his friend Julio Martínez and located at the center of the investigations. It also accounts for 174 transfers for a total amount of 2.6 million euros that would have remunerated conferences, advice, mediations, and other professional services of the former president.

The Police have placed under concrete suspicion 200,000 euros paid by the Peruvian company Foscul Social Research. Investigators link this payment to a possible intermediation by Zapatero with the authorities of Bolivia in favor of the company's interests, although the defense maintains that all amounts correspond to real, invoiced, and declared work.

The checks will also extend to a home bought by Zapatero in Madrid in February 2024 for 580,000 euros. The acquisition was financed by a half-million-euro mortgage that was canceled eleven months later with a transfer of 498,000 euros ordered by his wife, Sonsoles Espinosa. The former president explained that the money came from the sale of another family property located in Aravaca.

The UDEF also wants to examine the purchase of a home by his secretary, Gertrudis Alcázar, in Velilla de San Antonio. The property cost 132,055 euros and was paid between 2021 and 2023 without resorting to a mortgage. Agents acknowledge that so far they have not detected funds from the investigated companies, although they consider it necessary to check her assets due to the role they attribute to the collaborator within the documentary management of Zapatero's office.

Sánchez backs the former president and distances himself from his explanations

The Government has maintained two distinct arguments from the beginning. On the one hand, it defends Zapatero's presumption of innocence. On the other hand, it maintains that the granting of 53 million euros to Plus Ultra followed all the required administrative and legal controls.

Spokesperson Elma Saiz assured last week that the Executive continued to believe in the former president's innocence. She recalled that the loan was processed by the technical services of SEPI and subsequently examined by Instruction Court number 15 of Madrid, the Court of Accounts, and European institutions.

Sánchez maintained this Tuesday that defense of the Executive's actions. He described the legality of the loan as "absolutely irreproachable" and assured that he faces "with absolute tranquility" any investigation into the decisions made during the pandemic. His position was much more restrained when referring to Zapatero's private businesses, jewelry, and personal explanations.

The president recalled that the investigation is in an initial phase and avoided commenting on the conflicting versions of those under investigation. Julio Martínez declared before Calama that Zapatero intervened in the efforts to obtain aid for Plus Ultra, was aware of the progress of the procedure, and informed him in advance that the financing would be approved.

Martínez also admitted the existence of a commission close to 1% of the loan, about 530,000 euros, agreed between the airline and a company linked to him. His statement also did not identify the government official or SEPI official before whom Zapatero would have exerted that alleged influence, one of the main questions that remain open.

Zapatero denies any intervention with the Government

The former president rejected these accusations during his interview on TVE's 'Mañaneros 360'. "It's not that I didn't influence, it's that I didn't talk to anyone," he stated, denying any conversation with government members, SEPI officials, or high-ranking officials related to the granting of the loan.

Zapatero also defended the work carried out for Análisis Relevante and assured that he can accredit his conferences, reports, and advisory activities. His version presents Julio Martínez as a client and collaborator with whom he maintained a professional relationship, far from the subordinate role that the businessman now attributes to himself before the judge.

The case also investigates the payments from Análisis Relevante to Whathefav, the company managed by the former president's daughters. Zapatero maintains that the company carried out design and communication work, while Julio Martínez declared that some payments continued when that work had already finished.

The UDEF can now request complete documentation from financial institutions and reconstruct the flow of money between the individuals and companies under investigation. The result of this analysis will determine whether the explanations offered so far match the actual bank movements.