Política

The DelcyGate, as the meeting on January 20, 2020, at Barajas airport between the former Minister of Transport José Luis Ábalos and the now acting president of Venezuela Delcy Rodríguez – who was banned from the Schengen area by the European Union – is known, has landed in the Plus Ultra Case file. The commissioner in charge of the Madrid airport on the night of the murky stopover, Jesús María Gómez Martín, was able to provide “favors,” such as allegedly avoiding customs controls for the investigated Venezuelan magnates, in exchange for “rewards.”

The slogan “no to war” can take on different variations, such as “no to hunger.” The first stop on Pedro Sánchez’s trip to Rome was a conference of the FAO, the United Nations agency for food, headquartered in the Italian capital, titled “Food Security and Nutrition Under Pressure: Consequences of the Conflict in the Middle East.”

José María Aznar has also wanted to comment on the indictment of José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero for alleged corruption crimes in the Plus Ultra case. The former Prime Minister has stated that in the “unsustainable” situation that Spain is going through, his phrase that “those who can, should do” “makes more sense than ever.”

The indictment of former president José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero for alleged influence peddling in the Plus Ultra case brings to the table a debate that has not been resolved in Spain: what can former presidents do to make a living when they leave Moncloa? The reality today is that they can basically do the same as any other citizen, but with a much larger network of contacts and a greater capacity for influence. The statute of former presidents is regulated by a minimal royal decree, which does not impose any obligations, incompatibilities, or restrict their private activities, beyond the legal limits that apply to any citizen. And that nebulous area in which they remain is certainly an advantage, but also a risk.

“The Government is going to keep fighting,” guaranteed the minister and leader of the Madrid socialists, Óscar López, this Tuesday from the Moncloa. The Executive has thus shown itself determined to withstand all the pressure, both external and internal, triggered by the judicial investigation opened against former president José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero. In this way, it is willing to resist and not throw in the towel to keep the legislature afloat, despite the intensified political offensive by the PP and the far-right Vox, despite warnings from parliamentary allies such as the PNV or CC and, also, despite the demands of Felipe González or the president of Castilla-La Mancha, the socialist Emiliano García-Page, for Pedro Sánchez to call general elections this very year, and to give up his intention to complete the legislature in July 2027, as he intends.

The president of Castilla-La Mancha, Emiliano García-Page, has considered that after the indictment of former Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, the central government should submit to a vote of confidence or call elections, and has warned that his party is at the “highest risk moment” of the entire democracy.

Vito Quiles is now formally the first ultra agitator sanctioned by the Congress of Deputies after months of files, complaints, and altercations accumulated in parliamentary premises. The Lower House has decided to withdraw his parliamentary accreditation for three months due to his repeated irregular practices, provocations, unauthorized recordings, and interruptions to deputies and journalists. The decision, adopted with the votes of PSOE and Sumar, has also represented a further step in the practical application of the regulation reform promoted last summer to try to contain this type of behavior.

The former Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero has asked Judge José Luis Calama, who is investigating the Plus Ultra case, to postpone his testimony before the National Court, scheduled for June 2.

Judge Juan Carlos Peinado has summoned Begoña Gómez, wife of the Prime Minister, Pedro Sánchez, for a preliminary hearing on June 9 to decide whether to send her to trial.

The jewels found by the Economic and Fiscal Crime Unit (UDEF) of the National Police in the safe of the office of former Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero during the searches are estimated to be “between 30,000 and 50,000 euros,” according to statements made in recent hours by the president of the Ateneo de Madrid, Luis Arroyo, who acts as the authorized spokesperson for the former president.