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Secret Police Operations Target Podemos
Secret police operations against Podemos leaders during the PP government in Spain, launched without judicial oversight and ultimately closed due to lack of evidence.
Spanish
Spain
PoliticsEuropean UnionInvestigationGovernmentEspionageScandal
Spanish National PolicePodemosPpInterior MinistryInternal Affairs Unit
Pablo IglesiasEugenio PinoFrancisco VázquezEnrique García CastañoSantiago Pedraz
- What were the main focuses of Operation Venus and Operation Bolívar?
- Operation Venus focused on allegations of Iranian funding for Pablo Iglesias, while Operation Bolívar investigated claims of Venezuelan funding for Podemos members. Both operations yielded no conclusive evidence of wrongdoing.
- What role did searches of police databases play in the investigations?
- The investigations involved numerous searches of police databases for information on Podemos leaders. While initially downplayed, Internal Affairs' later report revealed these searches were tied to the secret operations.
- Who initiated the investigation into Podemos leaders, and what was their motivation?
- The investigation was initiated by the then-Secretary of State for Security, Francisco Vázquez, and Police Commissioner Enrique García Castaño, who sought to uncover damaging information about Podemos's 69 elected deputies.
- What were the two secret operations launched by the Spanish Interior Ministry against Podemos leaders?
- The Spanish National Police's Internal Affairs Unit investigated two secret operations, "Venus" and "Bolívar", launched by the Interior Ministry under the PP government against Podemos leaders. These investigations, lacking evidence, were closed without results.
- How did the leaked information from the secret investigations impact public perception, and what was the outcome of the investigations?
- The leaked information from the secret investigations appeared in media outlets aligned with the PP, creating a scandal even though they were eventually found to lack sufficient evidence. The investigations also lacked judicial oversight.