The judicial investigation into Vox's Cantabria parliamentary group has intensified, with the court focusing on Leticia Díaz, the party's spokesperson in the regional parliament. The case concerns a spy pen containing audio files that allegedly captured private conversations among Vox deputies and advisers. Díaz and adviser Daniel Álvarez are under investigation in this proceeding over alleged illegal listening. These are allegations, not findings of criminal liability.
The decision to summon Díaz as an investigated party followed analysis of the device's contents. The judge cited indications that she knew about the pen and understood its function, and that she had shown interest in the recordings. Of the 25 audio files found, three feature a woman's voice that several people identified as Díaz's. In one recording, a comment about the device's potential to yield “great things” was cited by the magistrate as a reason to widen the investigation.
The court's reasoning also addresses the tense internal climate within Vox's Cantabria group. The recordings allegedly took place amid an open political conflict between deputies and advisers, a rivalry that had already become public. Díaz's professional relationship with an adviser under investigation is also relevant: complainants said he worked almost exclusively for her at the time. The recordings and the group's internal disputes formed part of the context for bringing Díaz into the proceedings.
The investigation began after two Vox deputies and two advisers reported finding a recording pen on the desk of an adviser who is under investigation. The device was discovered in a shared parliamentary office, and the complainants suspected it had been used to secretly record conversations amid the group's internal disagreements. The crisis dates back two years, when the parliamentary bloc split into rival factions: one led by Díaz, the other by deputies Cristóbal Palacio and Armando Blanco. Vox's national leadership intervened and oversaw the group's activities.
The spy-pen investigation is distinct from another proceeding involving Díaz and a Vox parliamentary-group employee. In that case, Juzgado de Instrucción n.º 4 de Santander is examining allegations of workplace harassment and a possible offense against privacy involving the employee's communications. Reporting identifies Álvarez as the technician allegedly involved in recording and using the employee's email and WhatsApp* (принадлежит Metа, которая признана экстремистской организацией и запрещена в РФ) messages exchanged with third parties.
On 20 October 2026, the court rejected Díaz's request to reconsider an earlier order that found indications of workplace harassment and a possible privacy offense. The judge referred the appeal to the Audiencia Provincial de Cantabria, suspending the deadline for prosecution submissions until that court rules. The Fiscalía de Cantabria sought dismissal of the harassment case, arguing that the investigation showed “a conflict between the current Vox parliamentary spokesperson and the person who previously held that position, not between the accused deputy and the complainant, the employee.” The provincial court's review concerns this separate proceeding, not the spy-pen case.
The legal developments could have implications for Vox's future in Cantabria, particularly the selection of the party's next regional candidate. The party is chaired by Santander city councillor Laura Velasco, while Díaz serves as its parliamentary spokesperson. The cases unfold amid continuing internal divisions, but their outcomes will depend on the courts' proceedings.
Cases involving political espionage and internal party disputes have drawn national attention in Spain. The high-profile Kitchen case in Madrid, which involved allegations of spying on a party treasurer and secret recordings, concluded after months of hearings. Details are available in this report on the Kitchen case verdict. The Cantabrian proceedings, but, concern separate allegations and remain unresolved.
Spanish law criminalizes the discovery and disclosure of secrets in specified circumstances. In the Cantabria cases, the courts are examining different allegations: the spy-pen investigation concerns alleged illegal listening to Vox deputies, while the separate proceeding addresses alleged workplace harassment and the handling of an employee's private communications. Neither proceeding, as described here, amounts to a final determination of criminal responsibility.
