In September 2020, the Venezuelan vice president Delcy Rodríguez landed in a private jet at the Madrid airport. There she had a secret meeting with José Luis Ábalos, then transport minister in the leftwing coalition government and a senior member of the Spanish Socialist Workers’ party.

Ábalos allegedly facilitated a call for her with the Spanish prime minister, Pedro Sánchez.

Rodríguez is banned from entering the European Union due to sanctions imposed by the bloc. Breaking sanctions is a serious offence, which could result in jail time and heavy fines.

After the scandal was discovered by the public, the transport ministry claimed it did not know about Rodríguez landing on Spanish soil, and created a document that planned to limit media reporting about the ‘Delcygate’ scandal and repair the deteriorating image of the ministry.

Although it was four years ago, the case resurfaced in 2024 due a separate investigation – the so-called Koldo case, a multi-million corruption scandal also involving Ábalos. This investigation involves many high-profile Spanish government officials over claims that they illegally commissioned face masks, valued at more than 54m euros ($55m), during Covid.

Harbinger’s Magazine interviewed four teenagers living in the Alicante province of Spain about what they think about the ‘Delcygate’ scandal. All are international students. Regarding potential corruption within the government, their opinions vary between disappointment and worrisome.

Mikaël, 16, thinks “this situation tarnishes our view of the government”. Simone, 17, agrees, but also says “it could have been better if the government was more transparent about their actions towards Delcy Rodríguez.”

Mia, aged 16, agrees with the above opinions, saying that “it is evident that the government prioritises their reputation over people’s wellbeing”. On the other hand, Mykyta, 17, regards the case as “not a big issue”, because Rodríguez did not leave the airport. However, he adds, “undoubtedly, the government could have handled the situation better with the public.”

Moreover, Mikaël makes the point that the issue “just makes more people question what else the government is lying about or hiding from us”.

Members of Vox, the far-right political party currently in opposition in Spain, asked the Spanish public prosecutor’s office to reopen the ‘Delcygate’ case in the light of the Koldo case being investigated, but their request was declined.