The right-wing opposition in Spain has called for the resignation of Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez due to allegations of corruption linked to mask procurement during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Step Down Immediately
On October 13, the Popular Party (PP) announced it would file a formal complaint against Sanchez's party, accusing it of illegal financing, corruption, and influence peddling.
Cuca Gamarra, the secretary-general of the PP, held a press conference in which she demanded Sanchez step down immediately, according to Ziare.
She claimed the unfolding details point to "systematic corruption" at the highest levels of government, with Sanchez at the center of the scandal.
Gamarra also confirmed that the PP would file its complaint against the Socialist Party on Monday, seeking a full investigation into what she described as an unprecedented scandal.
Thhe Koldo Affair
The controversy surrounds what has been called the “Koldo Affair,” named after Koldo Garcia, a close associate of José Luis Ábalos, a former Socialist minister of transportation and once a trusted ally of Sanchez.
Spanish media recently reported findings from a Civil Guard investigation that links Ábalos and Garcia to illicit gains during the peak of the COVID-19 crisis, from March to June 2020. Garcia allegedly received illegal commissions from contracts to sell masks to public administrations.
The investigation has yet to formally implicate Ábalos, though he was expelled from the Socialist Party in February 2021. He continues to serve as an independent member of parliament.
These new revelations have increased the pressure on Sanchez’s government, especially as opposition parties push for further investigations.
