Bolivia's ex‑President Luis Arce denies influence‑peddling links to Spain's former PM Zapatero

Former Bolivian president Luis Arce, writing from San Pedro prison, rejected any involvement in a Spanish investigation that alleges he received €200,000 to facilitate influence‑peddling for the Peruvian Grupo Gloria and the Bolivian cement firms Fancesa and Soboce. Arce said, “No me he escapado, no tengo nada que ocultar, respeto la independencia de los Órganos del Estado y no estoy involucrado en ningún tráfico de influencias”. The Spanish Economic and Fiscal Crime Unit (UDEF) released messages from May 2025 showing former Spanish prime minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero urging contact with Arce and confirming a payment to facilitate the case.

Bolivian legislators responded with skepticism, demanding a thorough inquiry. Senators and deputies, including Tomasa Yarhui, Julieta Jiménez and Claudia Bilbao, called Arce’s letter “absurd” and urged the Senate to form a commission to investigate the alleged misconduct. The Chamber of Deputies approved a request for the Public Ministry and the Foreign Ministry to coordinate with Spanish authorities. Meanwhile, Bolivia’s Council of Magistrates opened a preliminary investigation into two constitutional judges who ruled in favor of Grupo Gloria in the cement dispute. The controversy has sparked calls for an exhaustive, impartial probe by both Bolivian and Spanish institutions.