When Spain and Mexico played “who gives more” in the bribery game
Ah, the corruption. That Olympic sport that some politicians practice with more dedication than an influencer in the gym. It turns out that the Koldo Case scandal, the one that has half of Spain asking for the head of Pedro Sánchez, decided to go tourism in Mexico. And not to drink margaritas in Cancun, but to distribute Mayan Train contracts as if they were flyers in a club.
The trio of laughter (and the envelopes under the table)
Imagine this dream team: José Luis Ábalos (former minister and Sánchez’s supposed right-hand man), Koldo García (the “advisor” who advised more than he should), and Víctor de Aldama (the businessman with more contacts than a CV distributor on LinkedIn). These three musketeers of easy money landed in Mexico in 2019, just when the Mayan Train was beginning to warm up. Aim? Divide the cake like children in a piñata.
The funny thing (or tragic, depending on your sense of humor) is that De Aldama admitted in court that AZVI, one of the Spanish construction companies, paid him 18 thousand euros in envelopes for “managing” contracts. In other words, the typical “I pay you to do magic, but don’t let it be noticed.” And voilà: INECO (a Spanish public company) and two other companies ACCIONA and AZVI—experts in winning competitions where the jury is bought—were awarded juicy contracts. Because nothing says “transparency” like awarding works to companies accused of corruption on another continent.
The Mayan Train: the perfect excuse for a successful business
Here the script gets good: while AMLO showed off the train as his star work, the Spaniards were having a field day. INECO won a contract worth 13.2 million euros as a “shadow operator” (a nice term for “well-paid security guard”). AZVI took Tranche 3, which inexplicably went from costing 10,192 to 23,000 million pesos (yes, inflation in Mexico is a practical joke). And ACCIONA, another fan of bribes, achieved Tranche 5… until AMLO changed his mind and gave the job to the Army. Plot twist.
The most ironic thing: De Aldama confessed that Ábalos met with Mexican authorities to “talk about the train.” They probably discussed the weather, the local cuisine and, in passing, how to share commissions. All very casual, like when you ask “what are you saying?” and you actually want to know if they owe you money.
Moral: If one day you are offered a “work” trip with politicians, check to see if they have suitcases with extra space… for wads of cash.
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PS: If you are looking for a masterclass on how not to govern, this case is study material.
