Judge Criticizes Zapatero Ally's Vague Testimony in Plus Ultra Probe

On 20 July, Julio Martínez Martínez sent a letter to judge José Luis Calama expressing willingness to assist in the inquiry into alleged influence-peddling surrounding the public rescue of airline Plus Ultra. The following day he testified, but the 35-page transcript shows the judge was unconvinced by Martínez's answers about payments received from a Chinese company tied to Venezuelan mineral trade. Martínez described his activities in vague terms such as "logistics" and "management" and could not name officials he contacted, prompting the judge to demand a clearer statement.

He maintained that Zapatero did nothing in those dealings, even though they had traveled together to Venezuela multiple times. When pressed about the airline's financing, Martínez said he relayed information to Zapatero but denied knowledge of any direct involvement. The judge also questioned payments made to Zapatero's daughters through Martínez's firm Análisis Relevante, noting the amounts and expressing skepticism.