Zapatero appeals judicial scrutiny of business ties with Peruvian firms

Legal representatives for former Spanish Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero are appealing a judicial decision to include his business dealings with Peruvian entrepreneurs in an ongoing investigation. The defense seeks to limit the scope of the case to the rescue of the airline Plus Ultra and the discovery of high-value jewelry in his Madrid office.

The appeal follows a report from the Economic and Fiscal Crime Unit (UDEF), which found evidence that Zapatero received 200,000 euros for meeting with the President of Bolivia to help annul a sanction against a Peruvian company. Zapatero’s lawyer, Víctor Moreno Catena, argues that the police report regarding transfers from Focus Social Research constitutes an unauthorized and prospective investigation that violates the former president’s right to privacy.

Judge José Luis Calama previously rejected the request to remove these specific business activities from the proceedings.