MADRID — Former Spanish Prime Minister José Luis Rodriguez Zapatero is scheduled to appear before the National Court on June 17. The summons from Judge José Luis Calama is part of an investigation into alleged corruption linked to a Venezuelan airline bailout and money laundering.

Judge Calama is investigating whether Zapatero directed a network that financially benefited from lobbying efforts for Plus Ultra. Court filings indicate that approximately €1.95 million was transferred through front companies and falsified documentation. Judge Calama has frozen about €490,000 in accounts connected to Zapatero and What the Fav, a marketing company associated with his daughters.

Plus Ultra, a Venezuelan airline, received a €53 million government bailout in 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic. Zapatero helped secure this bailout from Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez. An 800-page indictment alleges that foreign buyers seeking Venezuelan crude oil were required to submit letters of intent directly to Zapatero. Funds from the bailout were allegedly diverted to corporate networks associated with Venezuelan gold and oil transactions. Judge Calama further alleges that a Dubai-based shell company was established to conceal the financial trail of the bailout.

The UDEF unit of the Spanish National Police raided multiple offices and business premises linked to Zapatero. This followed an earlier raid at the airline's headquarters at Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas Airport. During a raid on Zapatero's offices on May 19, UDEF discovered a hidden safe containing over 100 luxury items, including watches and jewelry, along with handwritten notes from Julio Martinez detailing transactions with Venezuela. Investigators reportedly recovered items valued at approximately €1 million during searches at properties associated with Zapatero, who claims these items belong to his wife as a family inheritance.

Zapatero has served in a diplomatic mediation capacity regarding Venezuela since 2015. Julio Martinez manages the consulting firm Analisis Relevante, which is alleged to have been established to launder kickbacks related to the airline. Zapatero's daughters received a €25,400 transfer from Analisis Relevante in 2020, though they have not been indicted in connection with this firm or their marketing agency. The Spanish Attorney-General's Office, led by Alejandro Luzón, began investigating the March 2021 bailout in 2024 after receiving information requests from Swiss and French authorities regarding alleged money laundering.

No independent assessment of José Luis Rodriguez Zapatero’s claims was available.