Former Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero today reaffirmed his innocence regarding the Plus Ultra case in an interview on RTVE’s Mañaneros. Zapatero maintained that he did not intervene in the rescue of Plus Ultra, distanced himself from the confession of his friend Julio Martínez, and justified the possession of the jewels seized in his office as a “personal courtesy” gift. These are some of the most notable quotes from his intervention.
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The Plus Ultra rescue
“I didn’t speak to anyone about the Plus Ultra rescue; no one will be able to say that I exerted a single influence. That’s how it is.”
Julio Martínez’s confession
“I am not going to get into the defense strategy of any accused person. Human relationships must be separated from the judicial process. It is not my style to disown a friendship of many years.”
Denies creating an offshore company
“It is an absolute invention. I am not going to judge the work of the police and the judge, but the facts are what they are, and whoever accuses must prove it.”
The controversial jewels
“They are a personal courtesy gift from many years ago; they had no use, no specific purpose, nor any patrimonial intent.”
Did he violate his code of good governance?
“It would be interpretable. Surely now I would have made another decision, but there was no intention to defraud. We just had them there.”
The leak of his diaries
“My entire two years of life are there forever; it will have to have some consequence.”
The judicial investigation
“It is a contradictory process, and I am going to defend my innocence because I am fully convinced of it.”
Government support, an act of faith?
“I am very aware of what I represent and I appreciate the expressions of confidence, but let them not do it out of faith, let them do it based on the facts.”
The political consequences
“I have the PSOE in my blood, and I suffer greatly thinking that the party might suffer because of the situation I am in.”
The family
“I am very worried, it is very hard. (…) For my daughters, it has been very impactful, but we are very united in the conviction of our lawful activity and we receive a lot of affection from many people.”
