Overview
- Spain’s Supreme Court, which resumed witness testimony Tuesday, heard Juan Ignacio Díaz Bidart confirm a December 28, 2020 Industry Ministry meeting that he said was arranged by adviser Koldo García for businesspeople seeking a hydrocarbon license.
- Testimony also described businessman Víctor de Aldama’s free access to restricted areas in Transport, often in the orbit of García, as judges press toward closing witness statements in the masks‑contract case against José Luis Ábalos, García and Aldama.
- Guardia Civil commander Rubén Villalba, accused of supplying ‘burner’ phones and alerts for cash to figures in the network and currently suspended from duty, was slated to appear, keeping focus on alleged security‑force links to the procurement scheme.
- In Argentina, Chief of Cabinet Manuel Adorni retains firm backing from President Javier Milei and key adviser Santiago Caputo despite allegations that have dented the government’s image, reflecting an unresolved power struggle inside the presidency.
- Fiscal strain deepened the political stakes in Buenos Aires, with analysts reporting about $18 billion less in transfers to provinces since January 2024, weaker tax receipts in early 2026, and falling real wages, while in Peru President José María Balcázar ruled out a Castillo pardon and said official election results may wait until mid‑May as electoral juries review thousands of challenged tallies and opinion writers call for ONPE chief Piero Corvetto to step down.