The Plus Ultra investigation has opened a new line of scrutiny with political and business implications in Bolivia and Peru. A report by Spain’s Economic and Fiscal Crime Unit, known as UDEF, points to former Spanish Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero over an alleged mediation effort before Bolivian authorities on behalf of Gloria Group, the Peruvian conglomerate that owns Sociedad Boliviana de Cemento, SOBOCE.
Spanish media, referencing the police report, indicate that Zapatero allegedly obtained 200,000 euros through a consultancy deal that investigators believe may have been merely a front. The funds were said to have been funneled via Focus Social Research, a Peruvian firm officially listed as the contracting entity, even though the UDEF asserts that the arrangement was connected to Gloria Group’s commercial dealings.
At the center of the controversy is a major legal dispute in Bolivia. Since 2011, SOBOCE had been involved in litigation with Fábrica Nacional de Cemento, FANCESA, over alleged unfair competition. After years of legal proceedings, Bolivian courts upheld a ruling ordering the cement company linked to Gloria Group to pay 107 million dollars. That decision was later provisionally suspended following a constitutional appeal.
In this context, the UDEF asserts that Zapatero relied on political ties with high-ranking Bolivian authorities, including then-President Luis Arce, several cabinet members and individuals linked to the economic and judicial sectors. Police findings indicate that these actions involved holding meetings, exchanging communications and undertaking a trip to Bolivia in September 2024.
The report also highlights Carmen Almendras, previously Bolivia’s ambassador to Spain, as one of the intermediaries involved in the initial outreach. It further notes that Ana María Ospina, Gloria Group’s corporate affairs director, took part in the discussions leading up to the consultancy agreement. According to investigators, messages, schedules and bank transfers were examined as part of the inquiry.
Spanish media have portrayed the chain of events — the interactions with Bolivian authorities, the temporary halt of the decision against SOBOCE, and the subsequent payments — as a key component in the police theory connecting the supposed mediation with Gloria Group’s business interests. Still, the case is under judicial review, and no definitive judgment has assigned criminal responsibility.
Zapatero’s circle has denied any wrongdoing and has defended the legality of his professional activities. Meanwhile, the case has triggered political and judicial repercussions in both Spain and Bolivia, where the final decision of the Plurinational Constitutional Tribunal on the dispute between FANCESA and SOBOCE remains pending.
Origin: Infobae — ABC