UCO probes possible Venezuelan gifts to senior PSOE officials including a Zenith watch for Ábalos
Spain's Central Operational Unit is investigating whether senior government and PSOE figures received luxury gifts from Venezuela, focusing on a Zenith watch delivered to former transport minister José Luis Ábalos.
Documents recovered from the devices of Koldo García reveal that Vice-president Delcy Rodríguez gave a Zenith watch to former transport minister José Luis Ábalos during García's October 2021 visit to Caracas. Messages indicate that the gift was coordinated through Manuel Jiménez, who acted on Rodríguez's request.
The investigation also covers other alleged luxury gifts and seeks to determine if they are connected to a broader scheme to move funds linked to Venezuelan oil deals and alleged commissions from public contracts. García’s trip, which also aimed to negotiate a banking structure for these operations, remains under scrutiny by the UCO.
Why it matters
The inquiry could expose illicit foreign influence and financial misconduct involving top Spanish politicians.
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