Pressure on Sánchez Case
UCO Chiefs Admit Receiving Orders to Avoid Proactive Investigation in Sánchez Brother's Case
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Two former commanders of Spain's elite Civil Guard investigation unit, the UCO, have testified before a top national court that their superiors told them to stop being "proactive" in the case against David Sánchez, the brother of Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez. Generals Rafael Yuste and Alfonso López Malo appeared before Judge Santiago Pedraz at the Audiencia Nacional on June 26, confirming the orders under oath, according to El Periódico.
The testimony marks a serious escalation in a scandal that has dogged the Spanish government for over two years. Critics say it points to a coordinated effort inside the Interior Ministry to shield the Prime Minister's inner circle from criminal liability.
The Order to "Get Into Profile" and Go Quiet
On July 16, 2024, Manuel Llamas, the highest-ranking uniformed officer in the Civil Guard, met with UCO commanders. He told them to "ponerse de perfil" — a Spanish phrase meaning to stay out of trouble and take no initiative. The instruction was clear: in cases with "political affectation," the unit must wait for specific court orders and must not act on its own, according to Levante-EMV.
Four days earlier, on July 12, Leonardo Marcos, then-Director General of the Civil Guard, had reportedly attacked a UCO request for email records. He called the investigation "totally prospective and malicious" and said the unit's "credibility was on the floor," according to La Opinión de Murcia. Marcos was later reassigned to a diplomatic post in Washington D.C.
What David Sánchez Is Actually Accused Of
David Sánchez, also known as David Azagra, earns more than €55,000 a year as "Coordinator of Conservatories" at the Diputación de Badajoz. The UCO says the job was created "ad hoc" in 2017 with requirements tailored specifically for him, despite 11 other candidates applying. A UCO lieutenant colonel testified in the Badajoz trial that the post was designed by political decree, according to El Periódico de Aragón.
Investigators also found that David Sánchez maintains a tax residency in Elvas, Portugal, while working in Badajoz, Spain. Colleagues described his physical presence at work as "minimal to non-existent." In January 2025, the UCO reported that 37 months of emails from his official account had been deleted, potentially blocking key evidence, according to Diario Córdoba.
Government Denies Wrongdoing, Opposition Cries Crisis
The government pushed back on Thursday. Health Minister Mónica García said "there is no cause affecting the Government" and that any explanations by the Prime Minister relate only to his role as party leader — not as head of government, according to El Día.
The opposition was not convinced. Cuca Gamarra of the ruling People's Party said the revelations reveal "institutional decay" and accused the Ministry of Interior of being turned into a "defense agency for the Sánchez family." Legal experts warned that the "non-proactivity" order directly violates the Judicial Police's duty to assist courts free from executive pressure, according to La Opinión de Málaga.
What Comes Next: Trials, Sentences, and Political Fallout
The Badajoz corruption trial wrapped up in early June 2026 and is now awaiting a verdict. Eleven defendants face charges, and the private prosecution has asked for up to 6 years in prison for David Sánchez. The public prosecutor, however, has asked for acquittal for all 11, arguing no crime was committed, according to La Provincia.
The admissions by Yuste and López Malo could push the parallel "Leire Díez" case — an inquiry into alleged pro-government meddling — toward a full criminal prosecution for obstruction of justice. Spain is watching closely. With regional elections on the horizon, the drumbeat of revelations about what critics call the "sewers" (*cloacas*) of the PSOE is becoming harder for the government to dismiss, according to El Correo Gallego.
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