The judicial probe surrounding the Plus Ultra case has brought María Gertrudis Alcázar, the longtime personal secretary and trusted aide of José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, under sharp scrutiny, as the judge overseeing the National Court inquiry views her as a key participant in the alleged influence-peddling network tied 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 participated in the preparation and coordination of financial documents and invoices allegedly used to justify transactions currently being examined by Spain’s Economic and Fiscal Crime Unit (UDEF). Authorities suspect that some of those invoices may have been issued without any genuine economic activity behind 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 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