Delcy Rodríguez Files Lawsuit Against Aldama Over Allegations of Illegal PSOE Funding Through Venezuelan Oil

Venezuela's acting president, Delcy Rodríguez, has filed a criminal complaint against Spanish businessman Víctor de Aldama over allegations that she participated in a scheme to illegally finance Spain's Socialist Party (PSOE) through Venezuelan oil transactions.

According to Spanish newspaper El Mundo, Rodríguez has accused Aldama of aggravated defamation after he publicly alleged that she had provided him with an envelope containing documents related to a multimillion-euro oil allocation intended to finance the party led by Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez.

Rodríguez categorically denies handing Aldama any such envelope or participating in an illegal financing operation involving the PSOE.

The complaint, filed in Madrid through a law firm associated with former Spanish judge Baltasar Garzón, follows statements made by Aldama during two television appearances in February.

The businessman has been linked to the so-called Koldo corruption case, a major Spanish judicial investigation involving former government officials.

Dispute Over an Envelope Bearing the Venezuelan State Oil Company's Logo

At the centre of the legal dispute is an envelope displaying the logo of Petróleos de Venezuela (PDVSA), the Venezuelan state-owned oil company.

Aldama claims that Rodríguez personally handed him the envelope, which allegedly contained information relating to oil transactions whose proceeds were intended to finance the PSOE and the Socialist International illegally.

The businessman submitted the envelope to Spain's National Court (Audiencia Nacional) in March as part of the judicial proceedings connected to the Koldo case.

However, Rodríguez denies having any knowledge of the document, its contents or its alleged delivery to Aldama.

Her legal team argues that the envelope itself contains no evidence identifying her as the person who handed it over.

The defence also questions the document's chain of custody and how it was preserved between February 2020 and its submission to the Spanish courts in 2026.

Alleged Multimillion-Euro Oil Deals Between Aldama and Venezuela

The lawsuit follows earlier reports by El Mundo revealing extensive communications between Aldama and Rodríguez concerning Venezuelan oil transactions.

According to the newspaper, Aldama negotiated the purchase of hundreds of thousands of barrels of crude oil directly with Rodríguez through the Swiss company Pegaso Energy.

These commercial dealings form part of the background to allegations made by the businessman before Spain's National Court.

Aldama has claimed that some of the proceeds from Venezuelan oil transactions were used to finance the PSOE illegally.

He has also alleged that he personally delivered €300,000 to former Spanish Transport Minister José Luis Ábalos and his former adviser Koldo García for that purpose.

However, these remain allegations made by Aldama and do not, by themselves, establish that an illegal party-financing scheme existed or that Rodríguez participated in one.

Rodríguez Takes Legal Action Over Damage to Her Reputation

The Venezuelan leader had previously sought a retraction from Aldama through a preliminary conciliation procedure in July.

However, the businessman maintained his accusations, prompting Rodríguez to pursue legal action.

Her lawyers argue that Aldama's public statements seriously damaged her reputation by linking her to alleged criminal activities.

The legal team has requested that the court obtain the complete recordings of Aldama's interviews on Spanish television channels Telemadrid and Cuatro, broadcast on February 4 and 5.

They have also requested that Aldama give evidence in court.

The complaint emphasises that Delcy Rodríguez is not formally under investigation in the judicial proceedings to which Aldama's allegations refer.

Under Spanish criminal law, a conviction for aggravated public defamation could result in a fine calculated over a period of six to fourteen months.

The legal dispute adds another dimension to the controversy surrounding alleged links between Venezuelan oil transactions and the financing of Spain's governing Socialist Party, while the accusations made by Aldama remain subject to judicial scrutiny.