Nationality for Payment
Venezuelan Businessmen Who Paid Zapatero One Million Euros Recently Obtained Spanish Nationality
Two Venezuelan businessmen who paid more than €1 million to companies linked to former Spanish Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero also asked him for help getting Spanish citizenship — and both recently received their national ID cards. Guillermo Alfredo Amaro Chacón got his DNI on February 26, 2026, and his brother Domingo Arnaldo Amaro Chacón received his on February 20, according to The Objective.
The revelations come as Judge José Luis Calama of the Audiencia Nacional formally indicted Zapatero in May 2026 for influence peddling, money laundering, and belonging to a criminal organization. The case grew out of a probe into the €53 million government rescue of Venezuelan-linked airline Plus Ultra in 2021.
How Over €1 Million Flowed to the Zapatero Network
The Amaro brothers set up a Madrid company called Inteligencia Prospectiva SL in January 2020. The firm had almost no real business for its first two years. Despite that, it moved more than €2.5 million through its accounts between 2020 and 2025, according to Infobae. Spain's Economic Crime Unit, the UDEF, flagged this as a likely vehicle for laundering foreign money.
From that company, over €1 million went to three recipients in Zapatero's circle. Zapatero's daughters, Laura and Alba, received €561,440 through their firm Whathefav SL — reportedly for building a website. Close Zapatero friend Julio Martínez got €380,208 through his firm Análisis Relevante SL. The Gate Center think tank, linked to Zapatero's world, received €266,200, according to Diario Público.
Nationality Requests and 'Three Bags of Gift Boxes'
The Amaro brothers did not just wire money. They also asked Zapatero directly for help getting Spanish citizenship, according to The Objective. Both men succeeded. Domingo got his DNI on February 20, 2026, and Guillermo followed six days later. The Amaro family also controls 12 companies in Panama, a territory on the EU's list of non-cooperative tax zones.
Intercepted WhatsApp messages show Zapatero's long-time secretary, Gertrudis Alcázar, texting him on April 14, 2026, to say the Amaro brothers had left "three bags with gift boxes" for him. Alcázar was indicted as the "operational executor" of the network. Martínez, the close friend prosecutors call Zapatero's primary link to Venezuelan interests, was arrested in December 2025.
Venezuela's Shadow: Oil, Gold, and 'La Dama'
Investigators say the Amaro brothers acted as go-betweens for Chinese oil buyers and Venezuela's Maduro regime. Intercepted messages refer to deals involving gold, referred to as "The Yellow," as well as oil and nickel. A key contact in the Venezuelan government was identified by the alias "La Dama" — believed to be Vice President Delcy Rodríguez — according to Cadena SER.
Zapatero has long positioned himself as a mediator in Venezuela. Prosecutors argue this role was not just diplomatic — it was commercial. The UDEF reports suggest he traded political access for money. Zapatero denied this in court on June 18, 2026, calling the probe a "political witch hunt" and defending the payments to his daughters as "legitimate marketing work," according to ABC.
Political Fallout and What Comes Next
The indictment puts pressure on Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez's government, since the Plus Ultra rescue was approved under his watch in 2021. Opposition PP spokesman Miguel Tellado said the indictment "portrays Zapatero as both a person and a politician," adding that "the pieces are finally fitting together." Former MEP Ignasi Guardans called the case a "diplomatic and judicial earthquake," according to Noticias Caracol.
If convicted of money laundering and criminal organization, Zapatero faces significant prison time. His daughters also face potential money laundering charges for receiving funds from a suspected shell company, according to PanAm Post. Zapatero has challenged the legality of the WhatsApp evidence, claiming it was gathered without proper court warrants.
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