The UCO, permanently in the spotlight

The Central Operative Unit (UCO) is the most endogamous body of the Civil Guard. A large proportion of the officers who share the same initials on their vests have spent their entire professional careers in the same unit—statistics show little mobility compared to other departments. This "brotherhood," as one of its officers describes it, created through hours of work that are later not recorded in the reports, is essential to explaining the widespread discontent prevailing in the UCO, which reached its peak this week after it was revealed that a journalist close to the PSOE (Spanish Socialist Workers' Party) was seeking compromising information against Colonel Antonio Balas, the person in charge of the investigations against the woman and the brother of Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez. It's a bit like, if they touch one of us, they touch us all.

Within the UCO, they believe that Ferraz—although some sectors also point to the Moncloa—has orchestrated a smear campaign, despite the fact that so far no government official has publicly charged against the Civil Guard, despite the fact that some inaccuracies in the reports prepared by the unit—such as the one relating to Ábalos's assets in Colombia—or the alleged leak of a report on the PSOE's organization secretary, Santos Cerdán, which has not yet seen the light of day, could have led to this.

This is the interpretation of Daniel Fernández, spokesperson for the Independent Civil Guard (IGC) association. He believes that, once again, the UCO is being "instrumentalized" by the political sphere, despite the fact that the unit has been investigating "no matter who falls" since its creation in 1987. In fact, attacks by elected politicians are nothing new. During the times of Lezo, Púnica, and Taula, Popular Party leaders like Francisco Granados dismissed UCO reports as "false." "They are trying to create an aura of corruption, that the unit is corrupt, that it has dirty laundry, and that this could generate great distrust among the public," criticizes Fernández, who rejects the idea that a "patriotic UCO" exists within the unit, as has already been heard from the rostrum of the Congress of Deputies. Along the same lines, the current majority association in the armed forces, Jucil, has closed ranks around the police force, which has demonstrated "greater independence and courage" against the corruption and malpractice of various Spanish governments.

A position shared by the Civil Guard Association (Aprogc), which denounces the "baseless" questioning of the unit's actions and impartiality. "The UCO does not act out of self-interest, nor does it respond to external orders: its sole motivation is strict compliance with the law," asserts the association, which has among its members the largest number of Civil Guard officers in the uniformed ranks.

Among UCO agents, the idea prevails that there is a smear campaign originating in Ferraz

This association—which includes a sizable group of commanders, lieutenants, and generals—has commissioned a Madrid law firm to study a possible complaint against Leire Díez, according to sources at Aprogc. Article 17.2 of the Criminal Code states that "a proposal exists when the person who has decided to commit a crime invites another person or persons to carry it out." Other legal sources predict little criminal prosecution in this matter.

Unlike other times, the UCO now feels like they're "orphaned," after former Socialist parliamentarian and Director General of the Civil Guard, Mercedes González, has not publicly supported the unit under scrutiny all week. Neither has the institution's deputy director of operations, General Manuel Llamas. "We're abandoned," the IGC insists.

The PSOE surrounds Marlaska by occupying key positions in the Interior Ministry

Fernando Grande-Marlaska, the minister who has held the Interior portfolio for the longest time in history, is increasingly alone in the Ministry. What's worse, according to sources close to him, hardly anyone he fully trusts will accompany him for the remainder of his political adventure, after Rafael Pérez, his deputy and closest man, resigned this week "for personal reasons," as insisted by this department. The PSOE has been occupying a position of power around him thanks to the recent changes in key positions because a large part of Ferraz considers the Interior Ministry to be, currently, an "out-of-control" ministry, despite the law of silence that Grande-Marlaska imposes on his subordinates. Aina Calvo, a staunch socialist activist, will be the new Secretary of State for Security at a time marked by strong tensions with the Civil Guard. Specifically, that institution is led by another Socialist very close to Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez: Mercedes González, who was Secretary General of the PSOE (Spanish Socialist Workers' Party) in Madrid until last month, despite returning to the general management of the armed forces in September of last year. Grande-Marlaska experienced one of his worst days in government, when former Civil Guard Director María Gámez was forced by Ferraz to step aside. The list of Socialists surrounding the former National Court judge does not end there. The Director General of the National Police, Francisco Pardo, José Bono's strongman, has held senior positions during PSOE governments throughout his long career. Several of Grande-Marlaska's collaborators admit that the rumblings of a government crisis that would involve a transfer of power in the Interior Ministry have been circulating throughout this political year in the Ministry's offices. Despite the fact that the waters are choppy due to the recent storm with the UCO (Union of the Workers' Union), they do not foresee a short-term replacement dictated by Sánchez. It would be a different matter if the minister followed in Pérez's footsteps, leaving the portfolio due to the undeniable deterioration his image has suffered. And in that case, the Socialists surrounding him are already warming up to the idea of ​​leaving.

Although there has been no public defense so far, according to Civil Guard sources, the former PSOE deputy met on Thursday in her office with Lieutenant Colonel Antonio Balas and his superior, the head of the UCO, Colonel Rafael Yuste. González, in a meeting that lasted no more than half an hour, expressed her full support for their work. The meeting didn't take place until Thursday because another of the attendees, General Alfonso López Malo—former head of the UCO—was traveling.

The director of the Civil Guard meets with Balas to show her support for the anti-corruption unit.

The director encouraged the uniformed officers to continue working as they have been. They expressed their gratitude for the words of support.