A contract signed on January 17, 2020, just a few weeks before the declaration of the state of alarm, is the reason why Pedro Sánchez decided to “stop and reflect.” It was a collaboration agreement sealed between the IE Africa Center of Begoña Gómez, then director of the institution that belongs to the Instituto de Empresa, and the subsidiary of Globalia, a group of which Air Europa is still a part. The collaboration never developed, but yesterday a court in Madrid opened proceedings against the wife of the President of the Government after a complaint filed by the far-right union Manos Médicas. La Vanguardia has reconstructed what that relationship was like between the wife of the chief executive and the airline company. It all started in Russia.
St. Petersburg. Year 2019, electoral period. A subsidiary of Globalia called Wakalua, and baptized as “the first global innovation hub in tourism”, attended a UNWTO (World Tourism Organization) congress. In the Russian city, the company's directors met with Gómez, Sánchez's wife, who traveled to the tourist event on behalf of the IE Africa Center. In Saint Petersburg they signed a collaboration agreement for a very specific project. The contract was signed on January 17, 2020. The objective was to provide scholarships to winners of an African startup competition. The amount: 25,000 euros in scholarships and another 15,000 in “representation expenses.”
Using these expenses, Wakalua and the IE Africa Center agreed to purchase two plane tickets between Madrid and London to attend a tourism conference that cost 1,716.53 euros, round trip, with Air Europa. One of those plane tickets was used by Gómez, the sources consulted explain, on March 4, 2020. Beyond this disbursement, the contract was never developed. No more euros were used.
Days after the trip to London, Sánchez announced the state of alarm and the confinement of the entire population. That Easter he decreed the closure of the economy to stop the spread of Covid. This situation directly affected Air Europa, which turned to the Government to be rescued. The alternative, airline sources indicate, was bankruptcy. The company did not have money to pay payroll. That is why he required public help and received 475 million in two loans: one participatory of 240 million and another ordinary of 235 million. The participatory, in which the SEPI is involved, has an interest of 7.5%. If the company makes a profit, 1% will go to the Treasury. The airline has already paid 66 million in interest alone.
Air Europa and the Presidency of the Government defend that the public loan has no relationship with the contract of the IE Africa Center and the Globalia subsidiary. The aid was negotiated directly with the vice president of SEPI and the advisory council. Also with the State Attorney's Office and Cuatrecasas and PwC they learned about the process. Air Europa even issued a statement denying all allegations.
After the pandemic, Globalia and the IE Africa Center spoke again about more agreements. They began working on a repopulation project called “Hola Pueblo”, which was also never developed.
Begoña Gómez and the CEO of Globalia, Javier Hidalgo, met in Saint Petersburg. Afterwards they had two meetings: one at the 2020 edition of the International Tourism Fair, Fitur, held in Madrid, and another at the company's headquarters, in Pozuelo de Alarcón. No progress was made on further collaborations. In none of these meetings was the rescue of Air Europa addressed, these sources say.
Air Europa still has 206 million retained in Venezuela, a conflict that dates back to 2012 and 2013. Since then the company has been trying to recover this money, using any legal means, even resorting to brokers. Years ago, Víctor de Aldama, involved in the Koldo case, approached the company and told them that he could recover those amounts. They agreed on a commission of 5 million. He never collected it because the company continues to demand that money from Venezuela.
