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 allegedly played an “essential operational role” within the structure under investigation. The ruling claims she acted as a central communications and document-management hub for activities tied to the business and financial network now under suspicion.
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 also states that the secretary regularly used Zapatero’s corporate email account and that several operations linked to the alleged network were coordinated from the former prime minister’s office on Madrid’s Ferraz Street. Police investigators have already analyzed electronic devices and communications seized during the investigation.
Alcázar’s growing importance in the case has prompted the Popular Party (PP) to request her appearance before the Senate’s investigative commission examining SEPI’s management and the Plus Ultra bailout. Opposition figures believe her testimony could help clarify how certain contacts and operations related to the public aid package were carried out.
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 investigation continues, Zapatero has denied any involvement in illegal activities and insists that all of his actions complied fully with the law.
Source: ABC https://www.abc.es/espana/gertrudis-alcazar-sombra-zapatero-imputada-era-secretaria-20260522020711-nt.html
