Socialism, thy name is graft.
The Spanish Socialist Party (PSOE) is living a major crisis, with electoral defeats, corruption investigations and prosecutions, and widespread allegations of sexual harassment and sexual assault.
Besides the current Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez having his wife, his brother, and multiple key allies under investigation for corruption, now the former PM José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero is under investigation for influence-peddling and other offenses by a judge examining the state bailout of a Venezuela-linked airline.
Besides that, a police raid in his house and offices found and seized luxury jewelry, deepening the scandal engulfing the Sánchez government.
¡Ser socialista es tener muy poco! 💸
Según el diario ABC de España, las joyas incautadas en una caja fuerte oculta que tenía el chavista Rodríguez Zapatero estarían valoradas entre 4 y 5 millones de euros (incluyen diamantes, rubíes y zafiros). 💎✨
📹 Video cortesía:… pic.twitter.com/RUDRpyQhL9
— Nelson Piñero (@nelsonpvzla2) May 26, 2026
Nelson Piñero on X: “Being a socialist means having very little money! According to the Spanish newspaper ABC, the jewels seized from a hidden safe owned by the Chavista Rodríguez Zapatero are estimated to be worth between 4 and 5 million euros (including diamonds, rubies, and sapphires).”
Police seize jewellery and luxury watches in former Spanish PM’s office https://t.co/KeSOJ53HjA
— The Times and Sunday Times (@thetimes) May 26, 2026
The Telegraph reported:
“The haul included high-end watches, bracelets, rings and pendants which were found inside José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero’s safe this week.
Mr. Zapatero has been named as a suspect by a Spanish judge investigating a Covid-era bailout for a Venezuela-linked airline suspected of being a front for money laundering.”
“The socialist politician led Spain between 2004 and 2011 and belongs to the same party as Mr Sánchez whose government is reeling from corruption allegations amid an investigation into a state-backed loan of €53m (£45m) to the failing small airline Plus Ultra in 2021.
They believe the cash, of which only €14m (£12m) has been repaid, was funneled into bank accounts outside Spain belonging to a gang that was laundering Venezuelan money.
During his premiership, Mr. Zapatero developed close ties to the South American country, and with its now-ousted leader Nicolás Maduro and his successor Delcy Rodríguez.”
Two of Sánchez’s party secretaries have been jailed for corruption since he became prime minister, and his brother David Sánchez is set to go on trial this week on corruption charges – while his wife, Begoña Gómez, is facing a judicial investigation over alleged influence peddling.
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