Manuel Aarón Fajardo appears in the investigation of the Plus Ultra case as one of the most relevant figures on the international stage of the framework analyzed by the National High Court, where a presumed network of influence peddling linked to the 53 million euro bailout granted to the airline in 2021 is being investigated.
According to the order issued by Judge José Luis Calama, Fajardo is identified as "Zapatero's man in Venezuela", a figure who allegedly acted as a connection channel between the business environment of Plus Ultra and political contacts in the Caribbean country.
The "team" with Julio Martínez
The investigation places Fajardo in an operational structure that also includes Julio Martínez Martínez, a businessman from Elda, with whom he allegedly formed part of what is directly referred to as "the team" in some intercepted messages.
The judge attributes to both the role of direct intermediaries with clients, within a network of companies and contacts that extends between Spain and Venezuela.
In several analyzed messages, Fajardo refers to this internal coordination as joint work with Martínez, reinforcing the idea of a parallel structure for managing contacts and influences.
"The bridge with ZP"
One of the most relevant elements of the order is the sequence of communications intercepted during the pandemic, when the airline was seeking urgent solutions to its financial situation.
In April 2020, according to the investigation, the then owner of Plus Ultra mentioned the need to contact Fajardo, and there was talk of having established a "bridge with ZP" (José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero).
In that context, the businessman points to Fajardo as a key figure within the network of contacts. "Manuel is ZP's man in Venezuela," reads one of the messages attributed to the airline's management circle.
"I just spoke with Fajardo": coordination with the Plus Ultra circle
Another message incorporated into the case reflects the level of communication attributed to Fajardo within the operation: "I just spoke with Fajardo [...]. Zapatero is calling me"
These communications, according to the investigation, would reflect the existence of direct or semi-direct communication channels between the airline's circle and the circle attributed to the former Prime Minister.
The order describes Fajardo within a structure that allegedly operated in Spain, Venezuela, and other countries, articulating contacts between businessmen, intermediaries, and political figures.
His role is framed within what researchers call a hierarchical network, where different actors would have fulfilled specific functions such as recruiting contacts, international intermediation, and managing relationships with clients or political interlocutors.