Zapatero urges court to halt Bolivia business probe by UDEF

José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, who served as Spain’s prime minister, has formally requested the criminal chamber of the Audiencia Nacional to block a probe ordered by Judge José Luis Calama into his commercial activities in Bolivia. In the petition, Zapatero’s counsel warns that the judge is effectively granting the Unidad de Delincuencia Económica y Fiscal (UDEF) of the Policía Nacional a “patente de corso,” allowing it to investigate the former leader without statutory constraints.

The appeal specifically targets the ongoing examination of Zapatero’s Bolivian business dealings. Zapatero’s lawyers argue that the investigation exceeds the scope of legitimate legal scrutiny. The case now awaits a decision from the high court on whether the probe can continue.