Zapatero, Plus Ultra y la maquinaria venezolana en España

José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero will testify as a suspect in the Plus Ultra case. But the case goes beyond the bailout of an airline or the role of a former Prime Minister. In this episode of La Plaza, Ismael García Villarejo speaks with David Placer, a Venezuelan journalist specializing in Chavismo, the diaspora, and Venezuelan power networks in Spain, to understand what the investigation reveals about Chavismo's international reach. The conversation addresses Zapatero's role as a mediator in Venezuela, the connections in the Plus Ultra case, the influence of Delcy Rodríguez, the business dealings involving sanctioned oil, the Bolivarian bourgeoisie, the Bolichicos (young, wealthy Venezuelans), Venezuelan gold, and the presence of Venezuelan capital in Spain. An episode about politics, money, and influence. And about a fundamental question: to what extent was Spain merely a spectator of the Venezuelan crisis or was it also part of its international machinery? Chapters: 00:00 Introduction 01:31 David Placer enters La Plaza 02:00 What to understand about the Zapatero case 04:45 Zapatero and his role in Venezuela 08:20 Plus Ultra and the 53 million bailout 10:00 Ábalos, Aldama and Delcy Rodríguez 13:00 Zapatero's future as a mediator 16:20 Delcy Rodríguez and the role of the United States 18:20 Telefónica, Repsol and Spanish companies 21:00 Zapatero's lobby and Venezuela 24:00 Political prisoners and favors in Venezuela 28:00 Sanctioned oil and the Zapatero toll 32:15 What are the Bolivarian bourgeoisie and the Bolichicos? 35:00 Delcy Rodríguez's new Bolichicos 39:50 The Venezuelan community in Spain 41:35 The gold mine and the Venezuelan gold trade 46:25 Zapatero's legal and political landscape 47:50 Editorial closing: the Cercle d’Economia 52:00 Farewell