Víctor Ábalos, son of former minister José Luis Ábalos and currently in custody, explained that his father received direct pressure from José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero to support the financial rescue of 53 million euros granted to Plus Ultra during the most critical period of the COVID-19 pandemic. This statement, carried by the media, revived the debate about the involvement of senior socialist officials in the airline’s rescue operation and reinforced the opposition’s demands for transparency and the political connections associated with the process.
During the presentation of a book that includes the parliamentary interventions of Alfredo Pérez Rubalcaba, Rodríguez Zapatero told the press that he did not feel affected by the recent arrest of the directors of Plus Ultra and denied that the situation could harm him personally, according to the media. Furthermore, he refused to elaborate on the possible impact of these events on his political image and avoided commenting on the impact of Víctor Ábalos’ statements. The former president insisted that he was distancing himself from the facts presented in the ongoing investigation and did not disclose the relationships he may or may not have with those primarily responsible for granting the ransom.
The investigation, carried out by the Economic and Tax Crimes Department (UDEF) under the supervision of the Investigative Court No. 15 in Madrid, remained strictly confidential at the time of the events. According to the media, Julio Martínez and Roberto Roselli, president and CEO of Plus Ultra, respectively, were arrested as part of the process and are being investigated for alleged money laundering crimes related to the company’s financial management. No specific evidence or additional evidence has been released that would allow us to clarify the nature of the conduct attributed to Plus Ultra’s leadership or other possible implications for the case.
The same judicial authority that is now leading the trial had previously investigated a case alleging irregularities in the granting of the first public bailout to Plus Ultra. According to the media, this file was archived in 2023 when it was considered that there was insufficient evidence of the existence of a crime, although the current investigation is examining various facts focusing on specific suspicious financial operations.
With public attention once again focused on the management of the airline’s rescue, the People’s Party increased its calls for transparency in the handling of the aid and in the relationships between the government and the companies that benefit from state funds in exceptional situations, the media detailed. The formation continues to focus on the figure of Rodríguez Zapatero and his alleged influence on the process, demanding that all responsibilities be clearly established.
The media pointed out that the situation remains under the framework of summary secrecy, preventing the public from being informed about the progress of the proceedings and the content of the recent court proceedings. Both the detainees under investigation and Rodríguez Zapatero continue to be subject to media attention and political pressure as the investigation progresses, without any new official information or details regarding the progress of the trial being released.
The controversy surrounding the rescue of Plus Ultra is regaining importance in the public debate about the mechanisms for allocating state funds and the appropriateness of the selection of recipient companies in exceptional circumstances such as during the pandemic. According to the media, the combination of witness statements, arrests and the continued secrecy of the summary is contributing to increasing political tensions and keeping possible legal conclusions and consequences for people in the institutional sector in limbo.
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