The judicial investigation into the Plus Ultra case has placed María Gertrudis Alcázar, José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero’s longtime personal secretary and trusted aide, under intense scrutiny. The judge leading the National Court investigation considers her an essential figure within the alleged influence-peddling network linked to the airline’s bailout.
Alcázar has accompanied the former Spanish prime minister throughout much of his political career, from his rise as Secretary General of the PSOE to his years at La Moncloa and his later professional activities. Known within Socialist circles as “Gertru,” she has long been regarded as one of Zapatero’s closest associates, overseeing both his institutional agenda and administrative affairs.
According to the court order issued by Judge José Luis Calama, Alcázar was allegedly assigned an essential operational function within the structure under scrutiny, with the ruling stating that she served as a core point for communications and document handling linked to the business and financial network currently under investigation.
Investigators believe Alcázar may have been involved in preparing and coordinating financial documents and invoices that were allegedly used to support transactions now under review by Spain’s Economic and Fiscal Crime Unit (UDEF), and authorities suspect that some of those invoices might have been issued without any real economic activity backing them.
The judge adds that the secretary frequently made use of Zapatero’s corporate email account and that multiple actions associated with the alleged network were organized from the former prime minister’s office on Madrid’s Ferraz Street. Police investigators have already examined the electronic devices and communications confiscated during the inquiry.
Alcázar’s increasing prominence in the case has led the Popular Party (PP) to call for her to appear before the Senate’s investigative commission reviewing SEPI’s management and the Plus Ultra bailout, as opposition members argue that her testimony might shed light on how various contacts and actions tied to the public aid package were handled.
The Plus Ultra case focuses on alleged irregularities surrounding the €53 million government bailout approved during the pandemic to prevent the airline’s collapse. The judge suspects that an organized structure may have existed to influence administrative decisions and secure financial benefits through political and institutional contacts.
As the inquiry moves forward, Zapatero maintains he had no part in any unlawful conduct and asserts that every step he took was entirely in line with the law.
Source provided by: ABC https://www.abc.es/espana/gertrudis-alcazar-sombra-zapatero-imputada-era-secretaria-20260522020711-nt.html
