Businessman Julio Martínez Martínez, alleged frontman for former Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, also worked for the airline Plus Ultra in Venezuela.
In the confession writings from the airline executives sent to the National Court – previewed yesterday by EL MUNDO – Julio Martínez Sola, owner of Plus Ultra, and Roberto Roselli, CEO of the company, indicated that among Julito’s tasks was obtaining permits for humanitarian flights, arranging charter flights, and assisting in the sale of aviation equipment from aircraft retired from the fleet in the Caribbean country.
Specifically, the Plus Ultra officials highlighted the work carried out by the businessman, partner, and friend of Zapatero to postpone a fuel debt with the Venezuelan oil company PDVSA; which reached almost eight million dollars and was successfully delayed for five years without interest, representing a benefit of more than two million dollars for the company.
“Plus Ultra had accumulated a large amount of debt, because for a time it was not possible to pay PDVSA due to not having a checking account to make payments (as a result of international sanctions), so when PDVSA finally had an enabled account and claimed the debt from Plus Ultra, the accumulated debt was significant and Plus Ultra at that time had to prioritize the use of its available funds for its growth plan, which made payment very difficult. Therefore, it tried (and succeeded) through Mr. Martínez Martínez to postpone the debt with PDVSA without financial costs, a certainly complex management,” the executives under investigation confessed in writing to the investigating judge José Luis Calama.
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On the other hand, Julio Martínez Martínez has admitted – and plans to provide more details today at the National Court – that the company Análisis Relevante had other clients acquired through Zapatero. Specifically, he mentioned Softgestor, the company linked to Venezuelan businessman Francisco Flores, whom Víctor de Aldama identified as a PSOE financier in the secret case opened at the National Court over cash mismanagement at Ferraz.
Likewise, Julio Martínez also pointed to the company Inteligencia Prospectiva, owned by the Amaro Chacón brothers, payers of Zapatero’s daughters. “Just like the other clients, the relationship with the Amaro family came through Mr. Rodríguez Zapatero. The Amaro brothers decided to hire consulting services from Mr. Rodríguez Zapatero, and Mr. Martínez Martínez traveled numerous times to Venezuela to carry out matters related to their affairs in that country,” the businessman’s defense stated.
And finally, Análisis Relevante signed a contract for 5,000 euros per month with the company Grupo Aldesa whose “real purpose of the assignment was the personal advice of Rodríguez Zapatero to the company for all matters that might arise,” Martínez Martínez revealed yesterday.
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