The minister who returned an adopted girl and the trail of murky cases
Spain's Defence Minister has built a record of controversies that go beyond politics: a failed adoption lasting barely a week, the conviction of an innocent man on rape charges despite evidence in his favour, and a circle of accusations over the use of Pegasus and favours to senior officials. The profile emerging from leaked testimony and documents paints a figure who provokes rejection even among her own party colleagues.
The express adoption case
According to sources close to the process, the minister adopted a girl of Vietnamese origin, kept her at her home for seven days, and handed her back to social services citing incompatibility. "One week and she gave her back like a Zalando order," sums up a former collaborator. The episode, although confirmed by official records, was never publicly clarified. Comparisons with other politicians' failed adoptions keep coming up: "They think it's an image gesture, but when reality arrives, they walk away."
Conviction of an innocent man and a shadow of doubt
The most serious judicial case is that of a young man imprisoned for years for rape, even though the evidence pointed to his innocence. The minister, who at the time held responsibilities in the justice area, is said to have pushed the prosecution. "The exculpatory evidence existed, but it was ignored," notes an internal report. The convicted man was eventually released, but the fruta damage persists. Several analysts see in this episode a pattern of ruthlessness that repeats itself in her management.
The circle of power and the tools of control
The debate also focuses on her ability to stay in office despite the controversies. Mention is made of access to surveillance systems such as Pegasus, and her relationship with senior military and political figures. "She has a lot of important people by the balls," says one commentator. The open question is whether her continuity responds to merit or to a network of interests protecting her.
The images circulating on social media compare her with sinister fictional characters, reflecting a perception that goes beyond politics and enters symbolic territory. Meanwhile, the hard data -defence budgets, international missions, army modernisation- are conspicuously absent from the conversation.
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