Spain’s ‘Dirty War’: Police, Foreign Funds & Allegations Against Podemos

A recording from a 2016 podcast episode of “Un tema Al Día” from elDiario.es details a complex operation undertaken by elements within the Spanish police force and government officials aimed at discrediting the Podemos political party. The podcast, hosted by elDiario.es, centers on a meeting that took place in New York in April 2016 involving José Manuel García Catalán, then head of the UDEF (Economic and Fiscal Crime Unit) of the Spanish National Police, Ángel Fuentes Gago, an inspector chief, and Rafael Isea, a former Venezuelan minister under Hugo Chávez. The core of the operation involved attempting to obtain a signed confirmation from Isea validating a document purportedly showing a large financial transfer from the Venezuelan government to leaders of Podemos.

The podcast reveals that the primary goal wasn’t necessarily to verify the truth of the alleged transfer, but rather to generate negative media coverage. Despite Isea’s inability to confirm the authenticity of the signature or the document itself, the police sought his endorsement to provide a basis for a damaging news story. Just weeks after the meeting, on May 13, 2016, the newspaper ABC published a front-page article claiming, “The Minister of Finance of Chávez confirms to the Police the payments to create Podemos.”

This case, as detailed in the podcast, illustrates a pattern of alleged “dirty war” tactics employed by what is described as a “patriotic police” unit within the first government of Mariano Rajoy, targeting political rivals. The podcast features commentary from Pedro Águeda, a journalist with elDiario.es, who has extensively covered the case for over a decade.

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