The investigation into the rescue of Plus Ultra continues to accumulate evidence and politically pressure José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, but judicial uncertainties remain numerous. This was defended by Manel Pérez, deputy director, who distinguished between the ethical and criminal aspects of a case that, in his opinion, raises questions about the activities carried out by the former president after leaving La Moncloa. “Zapatero has a serious credibility and behavior problem, and with the economic relationships he has woven since leaving the presidency of the Government,” he said. However, he recalled that the judicial order known so far “still does not clearly reveal the role of the former president.”
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Pérez highlighted that, despite the abundance of references to Zapatero in police reports, there is currently no direct evidence proving the actions he supposedly took to influence the airline’s rescue. “He does not appear in any WhatsApp message, he does not appear in any email, he does not appear in any meeting, he does not appear in any company,” he said. Therefore, he considered that it remains to be demonstrated “what actions he took to carry out the influence peddling attributed to him.”
The decision to postpone the former president’s testimony before the National Court until mid-June worsens, according to Pérez, the political wear already suffered by the PSOE. “Many days have passed waiting for this narrative that Zapatero had woven a network of influence peddling and kickbacks to remain unexplained,” he said. In his view, each day that passes while new reports and proceedings are published represents “a huge political bleeding” for the socialists. Although he acknowledged that the defense has procedural reasons to remain silent, he considered that there is an obvious contradiction between the judicial needs of the former president and the political demands of his party.
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The deputy director also called for caution regarding the police conclusions that are emerging. He recalled that in other investigations some initial reports ended up losing strength during judicial proceedings and argued that public opinion must differentiate between indications and evidence. “It would be good to take these UDEF reports with some distance,” he said. “I am not saying to underestimate them, but objectively, distinguishing between what is the police argument and the solidity of evidence.” Along the same lines, he was cautious about the documentation provided from the United States, considering that it is still impossible to determine its real scope within the case.
Despite the uncertainties, Pérez believes the investigation can continue to grow and last for years. The appearance of companies linked to the former president’s family environment, including businesses related to his daughters, adds complexity to the case and raises the investigators’ suspicions, although he insisted that everything is still in a preliminary phase. What he practically takes for granted is the reputational damage suffered by the former socialist leader. “His behavior and the relationships he has woven do not correspond to the ethics he has promoted,” he said. Therefore, he concluded with a strong reflection: “What has happened completely changes his legacy, although that does not prejudge his criminal future.”
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