The Plus Ultra investigation has introduced a fresh avenue of scrutiny carrying political and corporate repercussions in Bolivia and Peru, as a report from Spain’s Economic and Fiscal Crime Unit (UDEF) indicates that former Spanish Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero allegedly sought to mediate with 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 heart of the dispute lies a significant legal battle in Bolivia, where since 2011 SOBOCE has faced litigation brought by Fábrica Nacional de Cemento, FANCESA, concerning claims of unfair competition. After extensive judicial review, Bolivian courts confirmed a verdict requiring the cement firm associated with Gloria Group to pay 107 million dollars, a decision that was later temporarily halted due to a constitutional challenge.
In this context, the UDEF claims that Zapatero used political contacts with senior Bolivian officials, including then-President Luis Arce, cabinet members and figures connected to the economic and judicial spheres. According to the police reconstruction, those efforts included meetings, communications and 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 presented the sequence of events — the contacts with Bolivian authorities, the provisional suspension of the ruling against SOBOCE and the later payments — as a central element in the police hypothesis linking the alleged mediation to Gloria Group’s corporate interests. However, the matter remains under judicial examination and no final ruling has established criminal liability.
Zapatero’s circle maintains it has acted lawfully and rejects any allegations of misconduct, asserting the legitimacy of his professional work. At the same time, the situation has sparked political and judicial ripples in both Spain and Bolivia, where the Plurinational Constitutional Tribunal has yet to issue its final ruling on the dispute between FANCESA and SOBOCE.
Origin: Infobae — ABC
