Spain's Zapatero Exposed as Maduro's Fixer. Trump Must Extradite
Spain’s National Court made history last week by placing former Socialist Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero under investigation for allegedly leading a criminal network engaged in influence peddling, money laundering, document forgery, and related offenses.
TL;DR
- Former Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero is under investigation for leading a criminal network involved in influence peddling, money laundering, and document forgery.
- The investigation focuses on the $61.5 million public bailout of the airline Plus Ultra, with allegations that Zapatero steered funds and profited through offshore shell companies.
- Testimony suggests Zapatero received a gold mine in Venezuela as payment for services and became wealthy through dealings with PDVSA oil and Orinoco gold.
- Zapatero's alleged involvement implicates him in the environmental and humanitarian crisis caused by resource exploitation in the Orinoco Mining Arc.
- As prime minister, Zapatero authorized a large arms export deal with Venezuela and later facilitated Chinese capital into mineral extraction while helping the regime evade sanctions.
- Calls are made for President Trump to consider Zapatero's extradition to prevent Chinese influence and cartel-linked capital from consolidating power following Maduro's collapse.