![The former president of the Spanish government, José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, arrives at the National Court to testify as investigated in the case of the loan to the airline company Plus Ultra.](data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewBox="0 0 16 9"%3E%3C/svg%3E)
After the interview, the PSOE expressed satisfaction with the explanations and reaffirmed the presumption of innocence. "We maintain our support for Zapatero," say socialist sources, while Moncloa also backs his version: "We ask for respect for his right to defend himself in an open process."The assessment on the other side of the hemicycle is very different. The PP considers the interview to have been an "authentic mockery by Zapatero." The popular spokesperson in Congress, Ester Muñoz, criticized that "he did not answer any of the unknowns" and that the real objective was "to defend himself and [Pedro] Sánchez, because their futures are linked" —reports Andrea Zamorano. Vox also did not give credibility to Zapatero's version, and Vox leader Santiago Abascal considered that the Spanish government had used public television to "launder" the former Spanish president. And to the left of the PSOE? "A gift is a Christmas basket," Rufián ironically commented, giving little credibility to the explanation about the jewelry.
Zapatero explains that the jewels were a "courtesy gift", but that now they give him "a deep allergy"
The former Spanish president reaffirms his innocence in the Plus Ultra rescue
BarcelonaThese are probably the most anticipated explanations in recent times. Both by public opinion, as well as by the PP and Vox opposition, and also by the Spanish government, which maintains its confidence in former Spanish president José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero. Two months after being indicted, the former PSOE leader broke his silence this Thursday in the first interview he has granted since being investigated by the National Court. And right from the start, he was clear: he maintains that he is innocent, that he has not "corrupted" himself, and that the jewels were a "courtesy gift," the origin of which he will explain to Judge José Luis Calama. In other words, Zapatero has reaffirmed that he did not exert any kind of influence over the government presided over by Pedro Sánchez for them to rescue the Plus Ultra airline during the pandemic and, in parallel, has defended that he has had no profit motive in possessing jewels valued at 1.3 million euros. Even, at one point in the interview, he went so far as to say that they were simply "there," in the safe, mixed with the family's inherited jewels.
Let's break it down. Zapatero is affected by two parallel investigations: one for the Plus Ultra rescue due to influence peddling, and another separate case for smuggling and tax fraud arising from the jewels. Regarding the first case, the former president has maintained his initial version, even though this week his friend and alleged straw man, Julio Martínez Martínez, alias this week implicated him, Julio Martínez Martínez, alias Julito. "I did not participate in the Plus Ultra rescue," he assured, adding that "you will not find conversations" of his talking about this credit or evidence of "pressure" on members of the Spanish government to grant credit to the airline with Venezuelan capital.
"I am convinced of my innocence," he said. "I did not speak with any public authority about the rescue," he added. Furthermore, he denied Julio Martínez Martínez's version, who this Tuesday before the judge stated that Zapatero was the one who informed him that the operation had been successful before the Plus Ultra rescue was approved by the Council of Ministers. "I did not know at any time whether it had been rescued or not," he replied, and he circumscribed Julio Martínez Martínez's statement to a "defense strategy" to mitigate his possible sentence.
Zapatero has indeed thrown a dart at former president Felipe González. After denying that he ordered the creation of a company in Dubai –"It's madness," he said—, he responded to the former PSOE leader, who said that Zapatero is not "capable" of creating an offshore, which he certainly is not —Zapatero himself said—: "He must know about them," he retorted in allusion to González and his business dealings. The socialist former president did admit to the dealings he had with Banco Santander on behalf of Plus Ultra: "I facilitated the contact," he summarized, rejecting that this has any criminal reproach or has to do with the Spanish government's bailout.
The origin of the jewels
The second chapter of the interview has been the jewels. The dichosas joyas in the words of Judge Calama during his interrogation. "They were a courtesy gift from many, many years ago," explained Zapatero, but without any desire to get to the bottom of the matter. In this regard, he refused to say who the gift was from or clarify its origin, as he considers that the first person to be aware of it should be the judge. Therefore, he still doesn't explain where he got them from, and the shadow of suspicion remains.
The former president wanted to present himself, in any case, as someone who is not at all interested in these matters. With statements such as, for example, that he has never entered a jewelry store. "We had the jewels there without any use or purpose, we had never talked about them and they were with our family's jewels," he explained, and even admitted that, seen with perspective, he probably wouldn't have accepted them: "They give me a deep allergy." Furthermore, he assured that he had never stopped to think about the patrimonial value the jewels had, even though he kept them in the safe of his former president's office and, according to the expert report commissioned by the judge, they are worth 1.3 million euros. A figure that he has announced he will contradict during the criminal proceedings.
"He who accuses, must prove"
After defending his innocence, Zapatero has challenged the police and justice system to prove what they say. "Whoever insinuates must prove it," Zapatero stated, "and assume responsibility if it is not true," he added, recalling that he is not the one who has to prove his innocence; rather, justice must prove his guilt. Zapatero's account is that he was doing consulting work for Análisis Relevante and that in no case was this company a front to channel funds to Whathefav, his daughters' company. "We have never falsified anything," he affirmed.
Zapatero expressed indignation at the leaks from his judicial process, as he considers that they have allowed for a "parallel trial" in the eyes of the public. Thus, he asked everyone for "respect for the presumption of innocence," explicitly addressing the leader of the PP, Alberto Núñez Feijóo, who stated this Wednesday that without Pedro Sánchez's government, "Zapatero would not have been able to commit a crime." "No one has committed a crime here until it is proven in a final judgment," replied the former PSOE leader.
The former Spanish president recalled that since the case broke out on May 19, everything has been leaked: beyond the UDEF reports and judicial interlocutory orders, his agenda over two years, his meetings with journalists, 600 activities, or his conversations with his secretary, Gertrudis Alcázar, whom he defended as an exemplary person despite being indicted, have also been published. "A reflection should be made on how processes are in the State, privacy must be preserved," he asked, and he cited the recent ruling of the Court of Justice of the European Union on the amnesty as an example: nothing was leaked before D-day. Does Zapatero believe there is political intent behind his case? The former Spanish president declined to make assessments on this matter and limited himself to saying that he "respects" the work of the justice system and the police.
