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.
According to the police report cited by Spanish media, Zapatero allegedly received 200,000 euros through a consultancy agreement that investigators suspect may have been a sham arrangement. The payments were reportedly routed through Focus Social Research, a Peruvian company formally presented as the contracting party, although the UDEF maintains that the operation was linked to Gloria Group’s business interests.
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 refers to Carmen Almendras, a former Bolivian ambassador to Spain, as one of the intermediaries in the early contacts. It also mentions Ana María Ospina, Gloria Group’s corporate affairs director, as part of the conversations that preceded the signing of the consultancy contract. Investigators reportedly reviewed messages, agendas and bank transfers as part of the case.
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 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.
Source: Infobae — ABC
