The relationship between Víctor de Aldama, commission agent of the Koldo scheme, with Javier Hidalgo, former CEO of Globalia, was not limited only to the professional, but was also close to one another that even led them to exchanging messages with an emotional charge that is unusual for two people who only talk about business. The conversations intervened by the Central Operational Unit (UCO) and published in its latest report to which THE OBJECTIVE has had access reflect a close and intimate relationship that became even more so with the rescue of Air Europa.
The first message contained in the report is from July 8, 2020, in which Aldama commented to Hidalgo that “the boss” (in reference to Ábalos, who wanted him to be present at a meeting to “comment to the minister (Calviño) “That he has already seen it (the rescue) and sees it as perfect.” Later, he sent him a second message: “Tomorrow first thing in the morning there is the 1 (Pedro Sánchez) and the treasury (Calviño) and the decision has been made that it will happen, but tomorrow when I am with him I will tell you.”
On July 17, Aldama wrote to him saying that Koldo had informed him of the status of the situation, stating: “K (Koldo) tells me that he has already called him on the 1st. As soon as he knows, I will tell you if the call worked.” On July 20, he told him: “They are working to present it tomorrow under the same conditions as ICO and it will be given by SEPI.”
Messages from Aldama
On August 4, he told him that he was still pending the procedures. “I just spoke today because the minister is currently with the president on the council, leaving, he tells him the situation and he even calls us with the president, now I see you”. That same day he tells him that everything is on track. «Tomorrow at 10 they will call me to speak with Saura (Pedro Saura, secretary of infrastructure and number two of Ábalos in the ministry) first thing in the morning and they organize the statements and on Friday we have the draft conditions.
After knowing the press release of the official beginning of the negotiations for the rescue of Air Europa – information that the plot and Hidalgo had before it was made public – on August 8, the messages resumed due to the impatience of the CEO of the airline . Aldama tells him: “Then I’ll call you and see you for a while and we’ll discuss that I spoke with the boss, we have it better than ever.” And in a second message it is downloaded. “And let’s see when you recognize that there are things that are done well, idiot, look how hard it is for you.”
On August 31, Hidalgo sent a message to Aldama saying that he had spoken with Koldo García to advance the details. «Víctor, nothing, I was trying to call you because I couldn’t reach you. I spoke with Koldo the other time and he told me that on Wednesday we will see the minister and then with Saura and on Thursday with Luis, Bartolomé, Saura and me. So nothing, I’m going to go to Madrid tomorrow afternoon to be there first thing on Wednesday. Wednesday in Madrid, okay? I don’t have coverage because there is a gale here today from the o*, so I’ll tell you. If not, we’ll talk tomorrow and nothing, Koldo told me that you’re calm.”
The rescue advances
On September 4, Aldama sends a screenshot to Hidalgo confirming Ábalos’s efforts and on the 10th he sends a loving message to his secretary. «Good morning heart. What I am going to tell you is just for you. Don’t say you know it from me, please. It’s just for your peace of mind. Yesterday we got the letter from the Government saying that it gives us the financing. Kiss and calm down. Everything will be fixed. I don’t know if they will appreciate the work that is being done, but this will be fixed. Kisses”.
On the 22nd the rescue was still not approved and Aldama contacted Hidalgo again to reassure him. «Friend, please let me help you. I can resolve the situation, trust me. I know you are very bad, but trust me. Tell Ramiro (Ramiro Campos, director of Globalia) to coordinate with me, let him handle the SEPI issue and I will take care of the rest with the Ministers and we will move this forward.
On September 29, Aldama reproached Hidalgo for a message in a less cordial tone. “Call me, I’m with the minister and you have to be here on Thursday”. In another communication, 20 minutes later he indicated: «Saura will call you to be here on Thursday. If you want to call me, I’ll tell you the conditions, if not, I’ll tell Miguel Ángel and that’s it. I’m tired of chasing you. I don’t deserve to be treated like this when all I’ve done is help you. “I don’t understand the way you act towards me.”
Aldama explodes… with happiness
The last message collected is the one from October 27 in which Aldama congratulates Hidalgo on the rescue. «F*ck, I have no words, I went for a walk because I had to unload. I’m crying like a f*cking baby with emotion. The weight that I had on top of all the tension and above all, and I tell you this from the bottom of my heart, the joy for you, because you have achieved it and your family has to be proud of the person and businessman that you are. And for everything a huge hug. I’m going to look at flights to see you, I love you j*, ufff, what a great joy o*, yesss, c*, yesssss,” he concluded. The economic lifeline was made official a week later.
A closeness that came from before. This newspaper has reported on a trip in January 2019 by Aldama together with Javier Hidalgo to Oaxaca. to meet with the governor of that region, Alejandro Murat. The objective was to discuss an air route that would connect Spain with the tourist bay of Huatulco. The meeting took place three weeks after the Mexican leader visited Madrid and met with Ábalos when he was still Minister of Transportation, to convey his plans.
Subsequently, Aldama himself acknowledged to the UCO that he had two contracts with Air Europa. In one of them – signed with Javier Hidalgo – it established the commitment of a payment of five million dollars (4.6 million euros) for the intermediary to collect 200 million (185 million euros) withheld by the Government of Venezuela. It was signed on September 17, 2019 and expired on December 31 of that same year. You only paid if there were results.
Business partners
The second contract referred to another between Globalia and the company MTM 180 Capital, owned by Víctor de Aldama. The agreed benefit was 10,000 euros per month and the contract was signed for a duration of two years from the effective date, that is, November 1, 2019. The first payment was made in a single invoice of 60,000 euros (72,000 euros VAT included) in April 2020 and the last for 36,000 euros plus VAT on November 6, 2020, three days after the rescue of Air Europa was confirmed. The commission agent recognized that it was payment for his efforts to ensure that the aid of 475 million euros went ahead.
But their relationship didn’t end there. This newspaper has also published that Hidalgo and Aldama officially became partners on March 11, 2021. The owner of Globalia and Air Europa invested that day through JHG Investments Models in the capital increase of 200,000 euros of Telepharmacy APPof which the commission agent of the Koldo case. This is stated in the summary prepared by the National Court for the sale of masks to public entities during the pandemic.
The operation took place just five days before the Council of Ministers approved the second bailout of Globalia companies, in this case Ávoris, for 320 million. On March 16, 2021, the Government agreed to throw an economic lifeline to Ávoris, which at the time of the operation was 49.5% owned by the Hidalgo family company. Adding these two rescues, the company received a total of 795 million from the SEPI rescue fund, 935 million if the 140 million guaranteed by the ICO in May 2020 are added.