Briefing
The Sala de lo Penal of the Audiencia Nacional in Madrid ruled on 10 November 2026 that the investigation into the former Spanish Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero could be extended to include a further strand relating to Bolivia . The focus is an investigative lead that Zapatero is alleged to have received payments totalling around 200,000 euros from people linked to the Peruvian conglomerate Grupo Gloria and that these payments were connected with interventions involving Bolivian authorities.
The ruling allows the recent report by the Unidad de Delincuencia Económica y Fiscal (UDEF) of the Policía Nacional to be added to the case file and the leads it records to be pursued further. Specifically, the Chamber confirms that the material submitted—including bank transactions, telephone records and other seizures—is admissible in the ongoing proceedings and may help clarify the matter. A defence application to remove these documents from the proceedings was rejected.
The investigating judge responsible remains José Luis Calama; the ruling does not amount to an indictment. The case is at the instruction stage, during which judges and investigators can gather and examine evidence. Possible measures include witness interviews, account checks and requests for international legal assistance from authorities in South America. The Chamber made clear that its decision concerns only the expansion of the scope of the investigation and makes no finding on criminal liability.
The decision is significant politically and legally because it addresses an additional link between payments from abroad, alleged intermediary services and a former head of government. Zapatero is presumed innocent until the investigation is concluded. Key terms in the case remain Audiencia Nacional, Sala de lo Penal, UDEF, Policía Nacional, José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, José Luis Calama, Bolivia and Grupo Gloria.
Editor: Mira Cadena (Article created with AI assistance).