World
Spain: Guardia Civil chief appears in court and claims to be victim of Díez plot
Mercedes González, director general of Spain's Guardia Civil, appeared before Judge Santiago Pedraz at the Audiencia Nacional de Madrid on July 17, 2026. She denied any obstruction of judicial inquiries and claimed to be a "victim" of a plot attributed to Santos Cerdán, a former PSOE official, and ex-socialist activist Leire Díez. Her testimony lasted more than an hour and a half. The anti-corruption prosecutor had charged her in early July with abuse of authority and obstruction of justice. A disagreement persists over the number of meetings between González and Díez.