Minister and PSOE Deputy Helped Extortion Case Suspect Obtain Citizenship. Santos Cerdán and Minister Félix Bolaños were involved in the citizenship process for Nervis Villalobos. This decision could have affected his possible extradition to the US and is linked to pressure on the anti-corruption prosecutor.
A new political and legal scandal is unfolding in Spain: it has emerged that MP Santos Cerdán and Minister Félix Bolaños played a key role in the process of granting Spanish citizenship to former Venezuelan Deputy Minister Nervis Villalobos. According to the investigation, Villalobos's naturalization was part of a complex scheme to pressure anti-corruption prosecutor José Grinda.
According to documents from the Civil Guard, in December 2024, Villalobos’s lawyer Ismael Oliver discussed with Leire Díez a petition for citizenship for his client. Díez tried to contact “Félix” — presumably Minister Bolaños — to speed up the process. The very next day, Cerdán reported that Bolaños explained the delay was due to the criminal case “Duro Felguera,” in which Villalobos faced up to 9 years in prison for money laundering related to the Venezuelan oil company PDVSA.
According to investigators, Villalobos was not only involved in corruption cases but was also a key figure in attempts to exert pressure on prosecutor Grinda. Through Leire Díez and her associates, including former SEPI head Vicente Fernández and entrepreneur Anchón Alonso, joint business projects were discussed, as well as the possibility of arranging a meeting with the head of the Bank of Spain. However, the main goal remained to protect Villalobos from possible extradition to the US, which became possible after he obtained citizenship under the Memory Law.
The case materials contain other episodes as well: Leire Díez actively sought compromising information on Grinda, using both bribery attempts and pressure through third parties. In particular, journalist Per Rusiñol, according to the investigation, offered the prosecutor not only money but also career prospects in exchange for assistance in closing high-profile cases. After Grinda refused, the scheme switched to attempts at pressure through civil lawsuits, in which Jaén resident Miriam Serrano participated. Her meeting with Serdán and other members of the group took place in Madrid, and subsequent contacts were accompanied by promises of employment and financial support.
An important detail was Minister Bolaños’ admission that Vilallobos’ citizenship was indeed granted under the law of historic memory, despite his status as an accused person. This decision drew the attention of the UCO, which requested case files to verify the legality of the procedure. Vilallobos himself claims that he was initially refused due to the criminal charges, but under the historic memory law it was enough to confirm his Spanish ancestry.
The scandal involving high-ranking politicians and individuals implicated in corruption cases once again raises the issue of transparency in procedures and the influence of personal ties on government decisions. Such stories are not uncommon in Spanish politics: previously, as noted in the coverage of the Azud case, corruption investigations have already led to resignations and high-profile court proceedings (more on the consequences for officials).
For reference: historically, the memory law allowed descendants of Spaniards to obtain citizenship even if they were under investigation, provided that the formal requirements were met. In recent years, Spain has tightened controls on granting citizenship, especially in cases related to corruption and international investigations. However, practice shows that political and personal connections can still play a decisive role in the fate of individual applicants.
