As a consequence of a request, the Ministry of Presidency appointed Cristina Álvarez as Director of Programs. She is currently under investigation by Judge Juan Carlos Peinado in Madrid, along with Sánchez's wife.
According to the documentation sent by the Presidency of the Government to the magistrate, in April 2024, a case was opened against Sánchez's wife for alleged influence peddling, business corruption, embezzlement, and professional intrusion related to her appointment as director of a chair at the Complutense University of Madrid in 2020, despite not holding a degree, and for the way she registered software associated with the chair that was donated by Google, Indra, and Telefónica to the public university.
As a subordinate of Begoña Gómez at the company Inmark years ago, Álvarez was appointed Director of Programs of the General Secretariat of the Presidency in 2018. The level 26 position designated her as a trusted person of Begoña Gómez to manage her agenda and coordinate her institutional events.
The information provided by the Presidency highlights that Álvarez performed logistical and organizational tasks within the framework of attention to the wife of the Prime Minister, underscoring the inherent affinity and trust that characterized their relationship. Although she was responsible for managing the agenda and preparing Gómez's attendance at events, meetings, and trips, no activities related to the private professional affairs of Sánchez's wife are mentioned.
During the investigation, Álvarez contacted the former vice-rector of the Complutense University and the university's patent management department regarding the creation and coordination of Begoña Gómez's chair. Subsequently, as part of the case, she became a subject of investigation and requested call logs from phones linked to the Complutense University and the business group of Juan Carlos Barrabés.
The advisor sent a message to a vice-rector about the management of the software that is under investigation for embezzlement. It was also revealed that she signed recommendation letters as the director of the UCM chair in favor of Barrabés in a Red.es competition.
In summary, the appointment of Cristina Álvarez as Director of Programs in the Ministry of Presidency and her subsequent indictment related to the case of the chair at the Complutense University of Madrid raise questions about the activities she undertook in support of the Prime Minister's wife, Begoña Gómez.
