The Audiencia Nacional is pushing forward the investigation into the Plus Ultra case: investigating judge José Luis Calama has summoned the airline’s former senior executives to give evidence on 7 and 8 September 2026. In parallel, he tasked the UDEF with producing a comprehensive report on whether, and to what extent, the involvement of Venezuelan investors may have influenced the decision to grant the airline state aid. The former head of government José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero is in focus.
The upcoming testimony will centre on statements by the company’s former senior executives, who link Zapatero to an alleged commission of 530,000 euros. According to the investigation documents, the amount corresponds to one per cent of the state aid package granted in 2021. Earlier, businessman Julio Martínez Martínez, a long-standing associate of Zapatero, described payments and alleged consultancy contracts that are now being examined for possible links to the aid.
Before the summer recess, Calama authorised the police to access more than 60 bank accounts belonging to Zapatero, people around him and several companies. The origin of high-value jewellery found in his office is also to be established. The UDEF was instructed to reconstruct payment flows between the companies involved and analyse cross-connections to people and companies linked to Venezuela .
The context is politically sensitive: Plus Ultra received 53 million euros in support from the SEPI, which was intended to support strategically important companies during the pandemic. Investors of Venezuelan origin have held a stake in the airline since 2017. The UDEF report now requested is intended to establish whether the ownership structure and capital flows played a role in the approval and processing of the aid.
This remains an investigation; no decision has been made on guilt or innocence. From the court’s perspective, the hearings scheduled for 7 and 8 September 2026 may establish whether the suspicions to date are borne out by consistent testimony and financial records, and whether they lead to formal steps, including possible charges. The testimony could equally reveal inconsistencies or cast doubt on key claims, with immediate consequences for the direction of the investigation.
Editor: Phillipe Schmidt-Araguin (Article created with AI assistance).