Spain’s National Court Investigates Former Prime Minister Zapatero Over Airline Bailout

Spain’s National Court placed former Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero under investigation last week for allegedly leading a criminal network engaged in influence peddling, money laundering, document forgery, and related offenses. 5 million public bailout of the Venezuela-linked airline Plus Ultra.

Court filings and raids on Zapatero’s office and his daughters’ company, Whathefav, allege he helped steer the funds and received roughly $2 million through offshore shell companies.

Investigators are also examining alleged links to Venezuelan regime money tied to PDVSA oil schemes and the CLAP food program. U.S. homeland security investigators reportedly proved pivotal in exposing the network. Defected Venezuelan military intelligence chief Hugo “El Pollo” Carvajal testified that Maduro gifted Zapatero a gold mine in the Orinoco Mining Arc as payment for services.

The late Colombian senator Piedad Cordoba stated Zapatero bragged about it. Former Spanish socialist adviser Koldo Garcia claimed Zapatero “became a millionaire through business dealings in Venezuela,” specifying PDVSA oil and Orinoco gold.

5 billion deal with Venezuela that included 10 Airbus C-295 tactical transport aircraft, two CN-235 maritime patrol planes, and eight military vessels. Later, Zapatero held key meetings with Venezuela’s now-acting president, Delcy Rodriguez, and built networks funneling Chinese capital into mineral extraction while helping evade sanctions through third-country shell companies.

Recently, Venezuela’s new government deported Alex Saab, Maduro’s longtime bagman, to the United States on narco-terrorism charges. U.S. in January and now under custody, Zapatero is described as a critical European node whose testimony could map the full architecture of international complicity.