Testimony Unveils Alleged Spying on Podemos by High-Ranking Police Officials
Former Venezuelan officials testified Monday in Spain's National Court regarding alleged secret investigations targeting officials from the left-wing party Podemos. During the proceedings, Nervis Villalobos, a former Deputy Minister of Energy in Venezuela, reported that high-ranking police officers sought information about Podemos officials in efforts allegedly backed by the police files provided to them.
Villalobos detailed to Judge Santiago Pedraz that in October 2015, he met with police officer Bonifacio Díaz Sevillano, linked to the patriotic police of the Interior Ministry during the Rajoy administration, in Washington. The meetings, attended by lobbyist Martín Rodil, were reportedly focused on uncovering evidence of irregular financing of the political party.
Despite failing to disclose the names appearing in the delivered police files, sources indicate that Carolina Bescansa, a prominent Podemos founder, was mentioned. Villalobos lamented that police documents confiscated during a search of his residence in Spain have yet to be returned.
In connection with this case, two meetings were confirmed involving Javier Ochoa Alvarado, the former Deputy Minister of Electricity in Venezuela, and police officials, where Ochoa stated he could not recall what documents he had provided. Lawyer José Aliste, who represented Ochoa, invoked professional secrecy during his testimony but noted he had drafted documents for the police at his client’s request.
The inquiry commenced after Podemos, represented by former Secretary General Pablo Iglesias, submitted a complaint regarding the alleged illegal investigations. In February 2024, Judge Pedraz provisionally accepted this complaint against former Secretary of State for Security Francisco Martínez, former Deputy Operational Director Eugenio Pino, and other police officials.
The complaint included allegations of criminal organization, appropriation and revelation of secrets, and administrative prevarication but was denied for charges of embezzlement and crimes against state institutions due to insufficient evidence of such violations.
Podemos argues that the investigations, conducted without judicial oversight, were designed to discredit the party and its officials through media leaks, undermining their public image. Notably, the party's complaint highlighted eight instances of alleged misconduct, including leaks of fabricated documents targeting Pablo Iglesias.
Additionally, in a separate development, the National Court announced that the trial concerning the alleged spying on former Popular Party treasurer Luis Bárcenas would not commence until May 2026, which further underlines the ongoing entanglement of political and judicial affairs in Spain.
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