'Mañaneros 360', RTVE's morning show, has closed one of the summer's big news scoops. José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero will grant this Thursday to La 1's program his first interview since he was charged in the 'Plus Ultra case', a highly anticipated appearance after weeks of silence and new statements in the Audiencia Nacional.
The interview will be conducted by Javier Ruiz starting at 1:00 PM and can also be followed through RTVE Play. The journalist will have the former president in front of him at one of the most delicate moments of his recent public career, with the investigation into the airline's rescue once again in the spotlight.
RTVE has chosen one of its reference current affairs formats for the event. 'Mañaneros 360' has strengthened its commitment this season to live political interviews and the monitoring of major national news, with Javier Ruiz leading long, demanding, and fact-focused conversations.
First interview after testifying before the judge
Zapatero appeared in mid-June before the Audiencia Nacional and denied having used his influence to favor the granting of the 53 million euros that Plus Ultra received in 2021. Since then, he had avoided submitting to a full interview about the procedure and the professional relationships he maintained with people linked to the airline.
His television reappearance will take place just two days after the statement of Julio Martínez Martínez, a businessman close to the former president and one of the main investigated parties. Martínez again placed Zapatero within the efforts made to achieve the rescue, although he claimed not to know which public officials he might have spoken with.
The testimony has reactivated political pressure on the former president and has opened new doubts about the scope of his actions. Zapatero had defended before the judge that his participation was limited to advisory tasks, without intervening irregularly before the Administration.
The Audiencia Nacional is also analyzing messages, contracts, and payments related to the work carried out around Plus Ultra. The investigation seeks to determine who promoted the efforts before the institutions, which intermediaries participated, and whether there was influence peddling in the processing of the aid.
Javier Ruiz faces a key interview
The choice of Javier Ruiz places the conversation on particularly relevant ground. The co-presenter of 'Mañaneros 360' has turned political and economic interviews into one of the program's hallmarks, with direct questions and meticulous follow-up on documentation and conflicting versions.
Among the pending issues is the exact relationship of Zapatero with Julio Martínez and the company's executives. He will also have to clarify what steps he took, why he agreed to collaborate with people linked to Plus Ultra, and how he responds to the new statements incorporated into the case.
The former president maintains the presumption of innocence and remains without precautionary measures. The judge refused to withdraw his passport and compel him to appear periodically, although the investigation remains open for possible crimes of influence peddling and other related acts.
The interview will allow his version to be heard outside of court for the first time since the case took a judicial and political leap. It will also offer Zapatero the opportunity to respond to requests for explanations that have come from the opposition and from some sectors of the progressive space itself.
'Mañaneros 360' will broadcast the conversation live this Thursday, July 23, at 1:00 PM. The interview can be watched simultaneously on La 1 and RTVE Play.
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