Connections Between Begoña Gómez and Morocco Highlighted in Ceuta Crisis
The connections between Begoña Gómez, the spouse of Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, and Morocco have resurfaced in light of the ongoing crisis in Ceuta. Central to this connection is the Africa Center of the Instituto de Empresa, which Gómez directed from 2018 to 2022, and its alliance with APD Maroc, a Casablanca-based business organization focused on training and networking among high-level executives. One prominent figure within APD Maroc is Miriem Bensalah Chaqroun, regarded as one of the most influential businesswomen in Morocco. Having served as president of the Moroccan employers' association CGEM from 2012 to 2018, she hails from one of the country's prominent business families and has interests spanning various sectors. Notably, her group announced a significant investment of 35 million euros in the Canary Islands, and she maintains a close friendship with the sisters of King Mohammed VI.
Taleb Alisalem, a Sahrawi activist critical of Morocco, has characterized Bensalah Chaqroun as "one of the most powerful figures in Morocco," citing her close ties to the royal family. This connection places her within the inner circle of power known as the Majzén, underscoring her status as a personal friend of King Mohammed VI's sisters. During Gómez's tenure at the Africa Center, the institution maintained its alliance with APD Maroc, which it presented as a platform aimed at enhancing training and knowledge transfer from IE to senior executives of leading Moroccan firms. APD Maroc claims to have engaged over 20,000 executives through its initiatives.
Concerns Over Financial Connections and Political Scrutiny
However, Alisalem raises troubling concerns regarding Begoña Gómez, indicating that Bensalah Chaqroun may have acquired her status through collaboration with Moroccan intelligence services, suggesting that her business network could have been utilized as a front for King Mohammed VI to divert funds or secure loyalties. According to Alisalem, the Africa Center, under Sánchez's wife, may have provided Bensalah Chaqroun with a network of contacts to expand her business ventures and potentially facilitate the movement of questionable funds.
This situation has gained particular importance as relations with Morocco once again take center stage amid the Ceuta crisis, with any connections between the Moncloa environment and the elites of the Alawite regime undergoing intense scrutiny. This is especially true given the perceived submissive stance of Sánchez's government toward King Mohammed VI. Consequently, attention has returned to the question of what business contacts and relationships were established through the Africa Center during Begoña Gómez's leadership and how they have evolved since then.
As reported by esdiario.com.
