The so-called “Koldo Case” has evolved from an investigation into rigged mask contracts during the pandemic into an alleged international network of illegal payments linking the Nicolás Maduro regime, PDVSA, and leaders from the PSOE. Documents, audio recordings, and confirmed travels by the Civil Guard outline a map of transnational corruption centered in both Caracas and Madrid.
From Mask Scandal to PDVSA Funds
In February 2024, the arrest of Koldo García Izaguirre, former advisor to Minister José Luis Ábalos, opened a Pandora’s box. What started as a case of inflated public contracts for medical supplies soon revealed signs of illegal financing of the PSOE through intermediary businessmen and funds coming from Venezuela.
Police and judicial sources confirm that the seized electronic devices contain messages and audio recordings discussing payments “through businesses linked to the Venezuelan state oil company PDVSA.” These findings, authenticated by the Civil Guard, strengthen the theory of payments from chavismo to socialist leaders.
Trip to Caracas and Meeting with Delcy Rodríguez
One of the most compromising milestones is Koldo García’s trip to Caracas on October 7, 2021. According to the seized documents, the former advisor to Ábalos met with Vice President Delcy Rodríguez in a government building to inform her that businessman Víctor de Aldama would no longer be the interlocutor for those payments. This meeting served as a direct bridge between chavismo and the Spanish socialist leadership.
Network of Intermediaries and Public Contracts
The case not only implicates the Ministry of Transport and Ábalos; it also involves Santos Cerdán, former secretary of organization of the PSOE, who has been indicted by the National Court, and several Spanish construction companies (LIC, OPR, Acciona, among others) in questioned contracts. Investigators are dealing with over 10 terabytes of information from 169 seized devices.
International Impact and Political Crisis
The alleged illegal financing of the PSOE with chavismo funds jeopardizes the international credibility of the Spanish government and adds tension to already complex diplomatic relations with Venezuela. The case also revives the image of PDVSA as a financial tool for the chavista regime to project political influence abroad, similar to the “soft power” operations that have characterized the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) in other nations.
Unresolved Questions
Will it be possible to forensicly prove that PDVSA funds reached the accounts of socialist leaders?
What role did Maduro’s government really play in these transfers?
How far did the network of irregular contracts and commissions extend?
An Expanding Case
With the investigation extended until March 2026, it is expected that the “Koldo Case” will continue to reveal names, contracts, and compromising audios. What began as a national scandal threatens to turn into an international political crisis that will scrutinize the financial ties between Caracas and Madrid.