đ° Corruption probe eats the PSOE
Plus: The controversial World Cup team, no betting on Perro Sanxe, and Los Javis win!
Madrid | Issue #149
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Could it get worse?
đšđ»ââïž Criminal investigation into ex-PM Zapatero blows up â and sets the government wobbling
Boom! It's Zapatero Investigation 2: Electric Boogaloo. That corruption investigation into the role that JosĂ© Luis RodrĂguez Zapatero (aka ZP), the former prime minister and BFF of current PM Pedro SĂĄnchez, played in the dodgy bailout of a Venezuela-focused airline that we featured last week has gone đ„, and we are here to tell the tale.
A quick recap. Last week, we explained how Zapatero (possibly one of the most symbolically important figures in Spainâs socialist party) is now officially under criminal investigation in a sprawling corruption and money laundering probe linked to the controversial âŹ53m government rescue of airline Plus Ultra during the pandemic.
Now it gets interesting. The case file â known as the sumario â became public this week, releasing gobs of salacious details. And then other investigations piled on. Let us count the ways.
Jewelry đ. A search of ZP's office turned up a safe containing two hard drives (yawnâŠbut maybe useful!) and a pile of jewelry that his assistants claimed came from his wife's family inheritance and gifts received while traveling. Friends of ZP said the value of the bling was âŹ30,000-50,000, while a jeweler interviewed by El Español said they could go as high as âŹ3.9m. đ€
Money đ°. A police search of the house of Julio MartĂnez MartĂnez, a close personal friend and running buddy of ZP who has, um, paid ZP a lot in recent years, turned up âŹ286,000 in cash stuffed in a golf bag, a radiator, and various other amusing hiding spots. đ€ Again.
Cool nicknames and mafia shoutouts. Text messages from telephones seized as evidence from a lawyer implicated in the corruption case referred to Zapatero as âZorroâ, âZâ, and âZZZZâ (we wish we had such cool nicknames). And according to the legal filings, onetime Plus Ultra owner Rodolfo Reyes was so enamored of Zapateroâs ability to influence both the Spanish and Venezuelan governments that he said âZapatero is in charge hereâ months before the bailout.
Money for the kids, too? The UDEF (Economic and Fiscal Crime Unit) of the National Police said that ZP's daughters, Alba and Laura RodrĂguez, accepted payments for their dad, via their marketing agency Whatthefav (do explain the name!), to cover his alleged influence peddling.
Terrible timing. The expansion of the investigation lands at the worst possible moment for PM SĂĄnchezâs government, which is already battered by years of scandals, judicial drama, and political exhaustion.
They're shooting us! One Socialist figure summed it up for El PaĂs â first "theyâ shot the government in the legs, then the arms, and now theyâve gone âfor the heart,â meaning Zapatero himself.
Going down with the ship (or taking it down with him). SĂĄnchez, however, is still defending Zapatero and insists he will remain in power until 2027. As you can imagine, the opposition believes the scandal is the coup de grĂące for SĂĄnchez.
The call is coming from inside the house. Even former PSOE PM Felipe GonzĂĄlez says Spain should hold a general election âthis yearâ to avoid further damaging the party. (Though GonzĂĄlez gave a backhand backing to Zapatero's innocence claims: he said he didn't think ZP had the "capacityâ to put together a complicated money laundering ring. Ouch! But thanks.)
Shocked! Zapatero is allegedly âsurprisedâ by the accusations. And â shocker! â he denies everything and says he can't be held responsible for the deeds of his longtime friend MartĂnez, now one of the key figures in the case.
ZP will speak. His legal team requested a postponement to review the case file. He's now expected to testify June 17 and 18.
How did we get here? The investigation itself actually began far away from domestic politics. In 2024, authorities in Switzerland and France alerted Spanish prosecutors about a sophisticated money laundering network, tied to Spain, that was allegedly used to move skimmed Venezuelan money through shell companies and offshore accounts connecting Latin America, Europe, and tax havens.
Venezuelan money trail! Some of those operations were allegedly linked to businessmen suspected of laundering money tied to NicolĂĄs Maduroâs government. While investigating that network, authorities came across possible connections between the Plus Ultra bailout, ZP buddy MartĂnez, and others linked to Zapatero.
And now we wait. Over the next few weeks, this country will be treated to what promises to be a deadly mix of leaks, court appearances, political hysteria, and television shouting matches.
Somewhere in the middle of all this, SĂĄnchez will claim that things are perfectly normal while his administration appears to be held together with duct tape. đ„ł
More news below. đđ
đŹ Five things to discuss at dinner parties
1. ✠Spain names its World Cup team and the star is⊠the King? (Oh, and controversy too!)
You canât watch the announcement video of the Spanish World Cup team (above) and not get a tiny bit emotional. Spain may have no greater skill than its tear-jerking nostalgia videos about fraternity and working together (seriously, watch a few ads for the El Gordo lottery).
But thatâs not the point. What is? That King Felipe VI (F6) starred in the announcement of the 26 members of this yearâs World Cup team, and there is controversy. Because thatâs what
soccerfootballâs about!
And the winner is⊠After a bait-and-switch â coach Luis de la Fuente appears, apologizes, and says he wonât be announcing the team after all â F6 took over, walking onto the pitch at Las Rozas to explain that the squad belongs to everyone â âto those who wake before the sun, who work the sea, who deliver the goodsâ â before closing with: âThis is the list of an entire country. This is the list of Spain.â
Normies. Then ordinary Spaniards â bakers, fishermen, librarians â read the names out one by one. Previous announcement videos featured Antonio Banderas, Ricky Rubio, and Carolina MarĂn. F6 has raised the bar kingly.
Fun fact! The filming took over two hours in Madridâs sweltering heat â and happened to fall on May 22, the King and Queenâs 22nd wedding anniversary. Queen Letizia advised behind the scenes. Romantic!
The squad:
𧀠Keepers: Unai SimĂłn, David Raya, Joan GarcĂa
đĄïž Defense: Cucurella, Grimaldo, CubarsĂ, Laporte, Pubill, Eric GarcĂa, Llorente, Porro
âïž Midfield: Rodri, Pedri, Gavi, Zubimendi, FabiĂĄn, Baena, Merino
⥠Attack: Oyarzabal, Olmo, Nico Williams, Lamine Yamal, Ferran Torres, Borja Iglesias, Yeremy Pino, VĂctor Muñoz
The controversy. For the first time in Spanish World Cup history, not a single Real Madrid player made the squad.
Spanishification đȘđž. Enter Enrique Riquelme, whoâs challenging Florentino PĂ©rez for the Real Madrid presidency on June 7 and is promising the âEspañolizaciĂłnâ of the club: âIf I become president, there will be a Real Madrid player whoâs played the World Cup with Spain.â
Fun fact #2. Spain has 3 Atlético de Madrid players in its squad. Argentina has 7. The Colchoneros: proud to serve⊠Buenos Aires!
In other Spanish football news, Alexia Putellas is leaving FC Barcelona after 14 years â two Ballons dâOr, 38 titles, 504 games, 232 goals, and a fourth Champions League clinched just days ago. She titled her farewell video Una historia perfecta. She was not wrong. London reportedly awaits La Reina.
2. đź Welcome home! Flotilla protesters beaten on their return to Spain
Cruel irony alert! The group of Spanish pro-Palestine protestors whoâd participated in a flotilla bringing symbolic aid to Gaza had already had a tough time before their welcome home:
They and their flotilla compatriots had been intercepted and detained by Israel, in whose custody they were reportedly abused, tortured, and demeaned â and some say sexually harassed.
Condemnation. Amnesty International demanded justice, the U.K. Foreign Office condemned the actions, and Canadaâs PM Mark Carney spoke to the Israeli president about the âappalling treatmentâ.
Then the Spanish protestors arrived back in Bilbao â and the regional police opened another can of whoopass on them.
Moments after the six activists deplaned, what was meant to be a kind of heroâs welcome home devolved into a brawl, replete with baton smacks and handcuffed returnees.
What the hell happened? The six activists arrived at Bilbaoâs Loiu airport on Saturday to find roughly 40 supporters waiting.
The gathering was unannounced, but an agreement had reportedly been reached between the Ertzaintza (regional Basque police) and flotilla representatives by midday: there would be an orderly welcome, a traditional aurresku dance, and no blocking of other passengers. Twenty-five officers were deployed. It held â briefly.
The ETA twist. According to airport CCTV footage shown to the Basque Parliament, the spark was struck by a former ETA militant, one Oses Carrasco, who pushed the lead officer at 1:49 p.m., then grabbed and yanked a second. That was the match.
Also present in the crowd: Itziar Moreno MartĂnez, another former ETA member, convicted of the attempted murder of a French gendarme.
Within seconds, batons were out, people were on the ground, and four were in handcuffs.
The other version. The activists flatly deny any provocation. Lawyer Sandra Garrido called the incident âabsolutely constructedâ by the Basque police â and said âwe were broken more here than in Israel,â because, unlike the assault at sea, they werenât mentally prepared for it at home in Spain.
Amnesty International called it an âexcessive use of force,â saying the images showed âno legitimate causeâ â especially for baton strikes on people already on the ground.
The fallout. Basque Security Councillor Bingen Zupiria (PNV) took responsibility for the operation on Sunday, saying what happened âshould not have happenedâ â and that those who âprovokedâ the Ertzaintza response would be investigated.
A triple investigation is underway by internal affairs, an external police oversight body, and the courts.
Trolling. The Israeli Foreign Ministry, meanwhile, posted on X, calling the detainees âanarchistsâ and mocking that they were driving the Spanish police âcrazyâ.
They werenât so wrong about that part.
3. đ» Two radio stars who narrated Spain just ended an era
Streaming killed the radio star. Sad news for those of you who (for some reason) are into AM radio. In the span of days, Ăngels BarcelĂł and Carlos Alsina, the two voices that have basically narrated Spainâs mornings for years, announced theyâre stepping away from the most high-pressure part of their shows.
Absolute shock. BarcelĂł is leaving the Cadena SER station entirely after 21 years, while Alsina is âself-relegatingâ from the political 8 a.m. news grind on Onda Cero station to focus on the more featur-y second half of his show, MĂĄs de uno. If you care about news and politics, this is seismic.
Not hard to see why. BarcelĂł and Alsina defined the morning conversation every day. BarcelĂłâs Hoy por Hoy was pulling in around 3 million daily listeners, making it the most-listened-to morning show in Spain, while Alsina had turned MĂĄs de uno into a record-breaking competitor with nearly 1.8 million listeners and growing.
Politically, both have labels â BarcelĂł as center-left, Alsina as more centrist/liberal â but what actually made them stand out was their journalistic credibility.
Tough interviews and analysis, and a level of professionalism that cut through Spainâs increasingly tribal media landscape. Even their critics listened (Alsinaâs interview with PM SĂĄnchez was chefâs kiss).
Why are they leaving? Depends on whoâs asking. SERâs official reason was that BarcelĂł wasnât renewing her contract.
However, there were reports that pointed to internal clashes within Prisa (the media conglomerate that owns SER) over editorial direction, with pressure to âdiversifyâ voices and possibly shift tone after recent falling audience numbers.
Alsinaâs exit was more philosophical. He openly admitted heâs âspentâ after decades of political broadcasting and wants to focus on a different kind of radio (less confrontation, more storytelling).
Conspiracy theory. Within hours, social media and some fringe media outlets were full of theories about a âright-wing conspiracyâ to push out critical voices, especially as the electorate âmoves to the rightâ. (Thereâs no evidence for that).
What now? BarcelĂłâs future is unclear (podcast? Substack?), while Alsina is reinventing his role. Undoubtedly, Spanish radio is entering a new era. The age of the all-powerful morning anchor who sets the national mood at 8 a.m. is fading. In its place? God only knows.
4.đ
Los Javis won big at Cannes with âThe Black Ballâ
Spanish cinema scores again. Los Javis (aka Javier Ambrossi and Javier Calvo) won Best Director in the Cannes Film Festival for La bola negra (The Black Ball), sharing the award with PaweĆ Pawlikowski, and yes, they got one of those long, emotional standing ovations (16 minutes!) that pretty much tells you that youâre cool.
This is a huge moment for them, especially in a year where expectations were sky-high and most of the Spanish competition walked away empty-handed (sorry, AlmodĂłvar!).
Blackballed. La bola negra is a layered drama inspired by legendary Spanish playwright and poet Federico GarcĂa Lorca, weaving together three timelines (1932, 1937, and 2017) to explore love, repression, and queer memory in Spain (Lorca was gay and was murdered at the start of the Spanish Civil War, so it fits).
Built partly from Lorcaâs unfinished work, the film revolves around the idea that queer history often survives in fragments and that recovering it is almost an act of resistance.
The cast is stacked with young Spanish talent (like Guitarricadelafuente and Miguel Bernardeu), and both Penélope Cruz and Glenn Close appear in it.
Political and emotional. The Javis used their Cannes moment to double down on why they think this story matters and say this is about reclaiming Lorca as a real person, not a sanitized cultural icon.
Big statement. They said âLorca was murdered for being gayâ and their film leans hard into that, connecting past repression with todayâs cultural and political tensions. Itâs a very Los Javis film: unapologetically queer and definitely emotional.
The film hits Spanish cinemas on Oct. 2, and Netflix has already snapped up U.S. rights in a deal reportedly worth around $5 million. It's going global, fast.
No love lost. The most surprising part of all this (in a good way)? It comes right after Ambrossi and Calvo, known for giving us iconic TV shows like Paquita Salas, Veneno, and La Mesias (and being the mainstay judges on Drag Race Spain), ended their relationship. Professionally, though, it looks like theyâre still very much together.
5. đ€ No more betting on whether Pedro SĂĄnchez will leave office this year
The Ministry of Consumer Affairs is going after prediction markets â hard. The ministry on Tuesday announced that it had initiated disciplinary proceedings against Kalshi and Polymarket for operating (virtual) casinos without gambling licenses. Which, to be honest, they do. But thereâs more.
Who are these guys? Kalshi and Polymarket are basically online bookies that let you bet on anything â sports results, elections, and when Venezuelan ex-Pres. NicolĂĄs Maduro would be kidnapped by the U.S. military.
But like we said, thereâs more. The ministry led by Pablo Bustinduy â you know, the guy Ryanair boss Michael OâLeary called a âcrazy communist ministerâ â decided that an investigation and possible fine and shutdown in Spain wasnât enough. No, it moved to preemptively block the sites in Spain â and it did just that.
What does that mean? Not only can you not place bets on the date by which Pedro SĂĄnchez will leave office (see above), you canât even see the page where Polymarket takes the bets. Because even knowing about this is dangerous.
Seriously, we tried. We couldnât get through to the pages unless we used our VPN. And now this all reminds us of China, but minor league. (Editor's note: A day later, the sites were again available; the ministry earlier said it would take 7-10 days to block the sites.)
The reasoning. Spainâs gambling regulator says prediction markets are gambling â youâre betting on uncertain outcomes, and operating that without a license violates the law.
Beyond the license issue, neither platform has the consumer protections Spain requires: age verification, identity checks, and self-exclusion mechanisms for problem gamblers.
The ministry tried to notify both companies directly at their foreign addresses. No luck â so it published proceedings in the official state bulletin, the BOE. Very Spanish.
The timing. Full proceedings will take 3-4 months.
The context. Prediction markets have had a rough year.
A U.S. Army soldier was charged after making $400,000 on Polymarket betting on the Maduro capture â which he helped plan.
French authorities investigated thermometer manipulation at Charles de Gaulle airport to game a weather bet.
A recent study found 70.8% of Polymarket users lose money, while the top 1% takes 84.1% of all winnings. Basically, a casino where the house is people who know more than you do.
Worth a mention: Presidential âwĂŒnderkindâ (rolls eyes) Donald Trump Jr. is an investor and advisor in Polymarket (because of course he is), and the U.S. regulator overseeing these platforms has been run, under Papa Trump, by a former crypto industry lawyer.
Not alone. Brazil blocked both platforms in April. Polymarket told the WSJ it welcomes collaboration with Spain. Kalshi didnât respond.
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Interesting coverage, but please get rid of that whiny female text-to-speech voice.