María Gertrudis Alcázar, known in socialist circles as "Gertru", is one of the people who appears with the most prominence in the ruling of the National Court judge José Luis Calama who has led to the indictment of José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero within the framework of the Plus Ultra case.
According to the magistrate, the historic secretary of the former president would have played a fundamental role in the administrative and documentary operations of the alleged scheme.
Thus, the ruling states that the former socialist leader was "the vertex of the structure" and that he exercised "strategic leadership" of the alleged scheme. But, "on a third level" would be personalities like María Gertrudis, in the role of manager "of daily operations". But, who is she really?
Zapatero's most trusted collaborator
Gertrudis Alcázar accompanied José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero during his time at the head of the Government and continued working with him after his departure from La Moncloa.
In political and journalistic circles, she is considered a discreet figure, but with great internal influence and absolute trust from the former president.
A PSOE militant for years, she has actively participated in the party's organic life and even signed opinion articles in defense of internal positions, such as her support for Susana Díaz in the socialist primaries of 2017.
The judge places her as an essential piece of the scheme
In the judicial ruling, Calama describes Gertru as the third link in a structure allegedly dedicated to influence peddling, money laundering, and document forgery.
According to the magistrate, Zapatero avoided intervening directly in the most sensitive operations and delegated the coordination of key tasks to his secretary. Her role would have consisted of transmitting instructions from the former president to investigated businessmen, preparing and reviewing corporate documentation, coordinating the issuance of allegedly fictitious invoices, managing emails with sensitive information, or participating in the creation of offshore companies.
The judge considers that her intervention was essential to give an appearance of legality to the investigated economic movements.
The Dubai company and the alleged kickbacks
One of the most relevant episodes included in the ruling is the incorporation of a company in Dubai which, according to investigators, would have served to channel payments related to the public bailout of Plus Ultra.
According to the judicial resolution, Gertrudis Alcázar acted as an intermediary between Zapatero and the businessman Julio Martínez, transmitting instructions to set up that corporate structure.
Body search to prevent destruction of evidence
The relevance that the judge attributes to Gertru was reflected in the measures adopted during the search of Zapatero's office on Ferraz street.
José Luis Calama expressly authorized an "external body search" on María Gertrudis Alcázar to prevent the possible concealment or destruction of storage devices or documentation relevant to the investigation.
The resolution ordered extreme precautions with any phone, USB memory, or other medium that the former president's secretary might carry.