Zapatero corruption probe links Spain, US concerns and Cuban solar deal

The United States Department of State has closely monitored Spain's anti‑corruption investigations involving former prime minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero. U.S. officials expressed doubts about the impartiality of Spain's General Prosecutor and asked diplomats in Madrid for information on the case’s progress. In May, U.S. Treasury agents were dispatched to the Dominican Republic’s Las Américas airport to detain Zapatero and prevent his travel to Caracas, citing his recent indictment by Spain’s Audiencia Nacional.

Spain’s Central Organized Crime Brigade (UDYCO) disclosed an alleged scheme, dubbed “operation Strongbox,” in which Alicante businessmen with ties to the Russian mafia allegedly used Zapatero’s influence to secure contracts for photovoltaic plants in Cuba. The investigators said the businessmen sought Cuban payment in kind—large quantities of nickel, cobalt and gold—and referenced a deal “ha aceptado el parque de un giga a cambio de níquel y cobalto.” The plot reportedly involved intermediaries connected to Chinese, South African and Mexican firms and even a Cuban diplomat, suggesting a multi‑national network of money‑laundering and influence‑peddling.