The new report of the Central Operational Unit (UCO) of the Civil Guard contributed to the summary of the Koldo case provides numerous evidence that shows the power of influence that the ringleader of the plot, Victor de Aldamahad on the Government of Pedro Sánchez. His contacts cross borders and Aldama maintained high-level relations with foreign leaders with whom he did business. One of these agreements was the possibility of launching the airline that would link Spain with the Mexican city of Oaxaca, where Aldama was honorary consul. The commission agent boasted of his relationship with the minister to achieve his objective, telling him: “With the new government, whatever you want, we can do a lot.”
Aldama acted abroad—especially in Latin American countries such as Mexico, Dominican Republic and Venezuela— where he earned millions of euros thanks to his relationship with the Spanish Ministry of Transport. Three months after José Luis Ábalos took office as minister, on September 10, 2018, Aldama exchanged messages with the Mexican deputy Pedro Miguel Haces with the aim of organizing a meeting in Spain. Aldama was a director of Globalia and wanted this meeting to take place to promote the frequency of Air Europa flights to Mexico. The meeting would be attended by Ábalos, Pedro Miguel Haces and the governor of the Oaxaca region in Mexico.
Haces told Aldama that he would not be able to attend the meeting with Ábalos and the commission agent responded: “I’m saving the cartridge for another time because I have already convinced the minister about the Madrid-Oaxaca direct line with Air Europa.” The next day, in a conversation intervened by the UCO, Aldama flaunted his capacity for influence: “Brother, I have many things set up here and with the new Government whatever you want and super positioned, we can do a lot (…)”. Later, he influenced his relationship with Ábalos by commenting: «I have to tell you, there is a lot and very good. Now with the Minister of Public Works I have everything set up.”.
Extract from the UCO report contributed to the summary of the ‘Koldo case’ on the progress of the investigation that is being carried out in the Central Investigative Court number 2 of the National Court since last February 2024.
Venezuela
Aldama’s economic activity also expanded to Venezuela, identifying with personalities at the highest political, business and social levels. One of these relationships is the one she had as the executive vice president of Venezuela, Delcy Rodriguez. «To contextualize the level of representation that Aldama had, mention that he acted as interlocutor between Spain and Venezuela“, with Ábalos and Delcy as interlocutors respectively,” the agents explain in the report consulted by OKDIARIO.
Aldama communicated with Delcy through encrypted messaging applications such as Threema. These conversations contain highly sensitive issues such as businesses linked to the purchase and sale of Venezuelan gold. In this context, investigators have found on a computer seized from Aldama the photograph of a purchase and sale contract in which the National Development Fund of Venezuela (FONDEN 42) that offers 104 gold bars to BANCASA SAworth $68,498,254.11 Americans.
Cash payments
The money obtained by Víctor de Aldama served, in part, to pay members of the organization. Minister Ábalos’ advisor, Koldo García, was one of the people who received this money in cash. To refer to this cash they used the euphemism “oil”. At times, Víctor de Aldama had problems supplying cash to pay Koldo, so he had to obtain other sources of financing.
One of these people was the Venezuelan businessman Jorge Giménez. Investigators have found that Giménez himself also knew Ábalos—whom the plot called The Boss—and asked about him. On May 17, 2020, Aldama asked Giménez if he had been able to move anything from the cash. «I need it here for what you know and I don’t know where to get it from»Aldama told him, who at that time was forging the million-dollar award to Soluciones de Gestión, the main company investigated in the plot.
Giménez, at that point, replied that he was showing that he knew that Aldama would already be earning money in Spain at that time. «You are making a ticket there! “Don’t lie to me hahahahaha,” he wrote. To which Aldama replied: “I am clear that he is going to pay me, but “You know how the government works to pay you.”.
Extract from the UCO report contributed to the summary of the ‘Koldo case’ on the progress of the investigation that is being carried out in the Central Investigative Court number 2 of the National Court since last February 2024.
According to the UCO researchers, this statement is of utmost importance for the investigation, since in a single message links two fundamental elements of the cause: Firstly, it would confirm that the expected economic flow is directly linked to some contract arising from the Administration, which at that time would be the mask business; and lastly and most importantly, it recognizes, immediately afterward, that for the successful pursuit of these businesses, cash must be paid.