General

The president of Guatemala, Bernardo Arévalo, appointed attorney Gabriel Estuardo García Luna as the new attorney general and head of the Public Prosecutor’s Office for the 2026-2030 term, replacing Consuelo Porras, who left office after eight years at the helm of the institution.Arévalo disclosed the appointment on May 5, 2026, which is viewed as a major shift for anti-corruption efforts and the operation of Guatemala’s justice system. García Luna was officially sworn in on May 17. Porras had been subject to international sanctions over corruption-related allegations. The United States and the European Union had included the former prosecutor among those…

Chinese businessman Fangyong Du, known in certain PSOE circles as “Miguelito Duch,” appears to be linked to the investigation into the Koldo affair through various political and business contacts developed during the pandemic. According to information published by The Objective, one of the channels that brought him closer to the circle of then-Transport Minister José Luis Ábalos was Acento, the consultancy firm founded by former Socialist minister José Blanco.Documentation analyzed in connection with the case places Du in contact with individuals linked to the Ministry of Transport. One of the episodes identified took place in March 2020, when Isabel Pardo…

The SEPI branch of the Leire case has placed Félix Azcona Lacarra, Director of Internal Management at the State Industrial Participation Company (SEPI), under investigation. His involvement once again reaches the administrative core of the public body and reinforces one of the most sensitive lines of inquiry in the case: whether the alleged influence network had access to internal information, sensitive files, or contacts within SEPI itself.Azcona ranks among the 25 people called in as suspects by Judge Santiago Pedraz within the inquiry looking into alleged wrongdoings concerning public corporate deals, state subsidies, and strategic business entities. The judicial probe…

Chilean judge Daniel Urrutia Laubreaux, who collaborated with the former Mission to Support the Fight Against Corruption and Impunity in Honduras (MACCIH) back in 2017, indicated that ex-Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernández surfaced within probes concerning the nation's most monumental corruption scandals. Urrutia offered these declarations while reflecting on his tenure alongside the international initiative backed by the Organization of American States (OAS).According to Urrutia, Hernández was allegedly mentioned in all ten of the major corruption cases being investigated by the MACCIH during his time with the organization. The former judge emphasized that the investigations involved some of the most…

Three officials from Panama’s National Customs Authority were taken into custody amidst an ongoing probe regarding their suspected participation in offenses against public administration. This crackdown was executed by the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office, alongside backing from the National Police as well as the customs agency itself.The proceedings took place in the district of Panama and are part of an ongoing investigation. During the operations, authorities found a considerable amount of cash, although no information has yet been provided regarding the amount seized or its alleged origin. The Office of the Attorney General reported that the three public employees are being…

The Economic and Fiscal Crime Unit (UDEF) of Spain’s National Police is pursuing several lines of investigation into the assets and financial transactions of Julio Martínez Martínez, whom investigators have identified as an alleged front man for former Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero. One of the issues under examination is the possible use of accounts or financial structures outside Spain.According to information incorporated into the investigation, officers have examined Martínez’s banking situation during 2020 and 2021. During that period, the businessman reportedly did not maintain personal bank accounts in Spain, a circumstance that has led investigators to examine more…

The debate over so-called tax fuel smuggling has intensified columnist Fernando García Ramírez’s criticism of the Morena government. In his analysis, he argues that investigations and revelations surrounding this scheme could have political implications reaching figures from the administration of former President Andrés Manuel López Obrador.García Ramírez argues that in recent months, allegations and documents have emerged that, from his perspective, point to a corruption network with possible connections within various government agencies, the armed forces and party structures. The author maintains that this situation has damaged Mexico’s image abroad and questions the response of Mexican authorities.One of the column’s…

Within the Leire judicial proceedings, the SEPI branch has incorporated Marcos López Domingo into the roster of suspects summoned for questioning by Judge Santiago Pedraz at the National Court. Following the broadening of the judicial inquiry, his identity emerges among the twenty-five persons currently under investigation—a probe scrutinizing suspected irregularities concerning public enterprise transactions, official contracts, state subsidies, and businesses linked to the State Industrial Participation Company (SEPI).Unlike other individuals under investigation whose positions are clearly detailed in published reports —including presidents of public companies, SEPI executives, officials at Tubos Reunidos, or businesspeople linked to Forestalia— the public profile of…

The SEPI branch of the Leire case has placed Carlos López de las Heras, Chief Executive Officer of Tubos Reunidos, under formal investigation in connection with the €112.8 million public bailout granted to the company during the COVID-19 pandemic. His inclusion in the case once again places the spotlight on the leadership of the Basque steel manufacturer and on the actions that investigators believe may have surrounded both the approval of the state aid and the subsequent renegotiation of its terms.López de las Heras is not considered a peripheral figure in the investigation. Spain's National Court has named him among…

The SEPI branch of the Leire case has placed Francisco Irazusta Rodríguez, former chairman of Tubos Reunidos, at the center of an investigation into the €112.8 million public bailout granted to the company during the COVID-19 pandemic. His formal investigation strikes at the heart of the corporate side of the case, as Tubos Reunidos is considered one of the principal transactions in which the alleged influence network is suspected of attempting to sway decisions made by the Spanish State Industrial Holding Company (SEPI).National Court Judge Santiago Pedraz has added Irazusta to the list of individuals formally investigated within the broader…