Soria City Council is facing scrutiny over more than €226,000 in contracts awarded to Biosfera Soria SL, a company previously managed by Yolanda Santos, then the councillor responsible for Tourism and Commerce, with the Environment portfolio as well. The awards, made between 2019 and 2026, are part of the investigation known as Caso Fuentona, which concerns alleged irregularities in municipal public contracts.
The reported contract figures comprise three public tenders worth €131,549.25 and eight smaller direct contracts totaling €95,049.83. They were awarded after Santos left her managerial role to join the local government in 2019. Biosfera Soria, active since 2007 in nature and leisure activities, continued to receive municipal work after changes in its management. More recent contracts covered environmental education and family support programs, alongside management of local facilities. Spain’s Ministry of Finance publishes records of minor contracts through the Public Sector Procurement Platform, the national structure for public contract notices and data.
On 23 June 2026, the Guardia Civil searched municipal offices for approximately 11 to 12 hours, as well as two private residences. The operation, directed by Instruction Section No. 3 of the Soria Court of Instance and the provincial prosecution service, resulted in seven arrests, including Santos. Investigators are examining possible administrative prevarication and influence peddling, along with document falsification and prohibited negotiations and activities by public officials. They are also investigating money laundering and membership in a criminal organization. These remain provisional allegations in an ongoing judicial investigation, and no criminal liability has been determined.
The case prompted responses from local and regional political leaders. Carlos Martínez, Soria’s former mayor and a prominent PSOE figure, expressed confidence in the legality of the council’s actions, citing the limited number of companies able to provide specialized services in a city of about 41,000 residents. The administration led by Javier Antón suspended Santos from her duties and announced plans to participate in the proceedings as an interested party, along with an internal review of the contracts. Santos later resigned her municipal mandate and left the PSOE.
Biosfera Soria SL’s management changed several times after Santos left the company. Marta Viu Cuerda, its first administrator, departed in 2010 and now works in the Ministry for Ecological Transition. After Santos’s exit in 2019, Araceli Soler and María Cristina Martínez, a councillor from Arévalo de la Sierra, took over. They remained until August 2020, when Ángela Blázquez became administrator. The company also secured contracts from the Junta de Castilla y León, including visitor-services agreements for the Bosque de El Amogable valued at €75,500 and €28,700 for different periods.
The investigation has focused attention on the potential overlap between Santos’s former business interests and her public responsibilities. Critics say such overlaps can be difficult to avoid in small municipalities, yet may create the appearance of impropriety. The Popular Party had previously questioned the relationship between Biosfera Soria and the council. In August 2026, the PP was admitted as a popular prosecution party in the case. Vox has also participated in that capacity, while a separate Vox complaint concerning an alleged leak was rejected by a court in July.
The proceedings remain under judicial secrecy. On 20 October, the investigating judge extended the secrecy order for a fourth time, effective 22 October and lasting a further month, citing the complexity of the case and the need to protect ongoing investigative measures. The court said inquiries were continuing. The detainees were released subject to charges and an obligation to appear before the judge. The case has renewed scrutiny of public procurement and transparency in smaller Spanish cities. Similar concerns about public funds and the risk of vulnerable groups missing out on social support have arisen elsewhere, including when Catalonia allocated €30 million to identify families not receiving social aid, as detailed in this report on targeted welfare initiatives.
Spanish public officials are subject to rules designed to prevent conflicts of interest, while municipal contracting follows public procurement procedures. The Soria case remains at the judicial inquiry stage, and the presumption of innocence applies to those under investigation. Its findings may shape debate over municipal contracting and oversight of elected officials’ former business ties.
