Spain’s former prime minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero is being investigated by the Spanish judiciary for alleged influence peddling and related offences connected to a government-linked airline bailout. Multiple outlets report that the case centers on state aid granted during the COVID-19 period to an airline described as being linked to Venezuela, with the investigation examining whether Zapatero exerted improper influence after leaving office. Bloomberg and other reports say Zapatero is named as a suspect and that police searched his office as part of the probe. The Guardian and others add that a Spanish judge has ordered Zapatero to appear before the Audiencia Nacional, Spain’s highest criminal court. The New York Times and other sources state that Zapatero denies wrongdoing. Several reports also note the political context: the investigation increases scrutiny on the current Spanish government and the prime minister, Pedro Sánchez, who is facing other corruption-related allegations. The case is ongoing, with no final outcome reported by the sources.