EDATV The 'key partner' who stood up Sánchez's brother and his project in Portugal
Additionally, David Sánchez didn't manage to convince the Portuguese foundation Eugenio de Almeida to fund his project.
Sánchez's brother continues to be in the spotlight. This time due to emails sent between David Sánchez and the chief of staff of the former Portuguese prime minister, who was arrested.
David Sánchez contacted Vítor Escária, without prior introduction, when he was the chief of staff of the Prime Minister of Portugal, the socialist António Costa.
In that email, Sánchez's brother was seeking a "key partner" for his 6 million euro opera project. Something that could open the door to receiving aid from a 299 million EU fund. The first of the emails they exchanged is among the communications intercepted by the UCO.
This contact occurred just one week after Pedro Sánchez and António Costa presided over the XXXIII Hispano-Portuguese Summit.
On November 11, 2022, from the official email account of the Diputación associated with Sánchez's brother (dsanchezp@dip-badajoz.es), a message was sent. It was destined for an address of the Portuguese Government (vitor.escaria@pm.gov.pt). It corresponds to the chief of staff of the Portuguese Prime Minister, Vítor Escária.
"Caro (dear, in Portuguese) Vítor. Thank you first of all for your kind help. Attached is the file of our project from the Diputación de Badajoz for the POCTEP 2021-2027 Program, of a social and cultural type.
To be able to present the candidacy, we need a key Portuguese partner, with resources and solvency in the management of unique cultural activities.
Specifically, for activity 1 we could do it with the means of the Diputación. But since the opera is a very transversal project, we request help in finding partnerships.
Initially, I thought that the Gulbenkian Foundation might be interested in participating because I believe it fits very well in that profile. But we are open to all your suggestions."
Vítor, in one of his emails to Sánchez's brother, proposes "the Eugenio de Almeida Foundation as a possible partner." However, after months of insistence, Sánchez's brother received a negative reply from the Foundation.
On February 5, the Eugenio de Almeida Foundation closed the door to collaboration with David Sánchez's opera project. "After our meeting on January 23, I thank you for all the information provided. And I congratulate you on the quality and breadth of the Ópera Joven project."
But the email continues. "However, we consider that the project doesn't fit within the priority lines of the program developed by the Eugenio de Almeida Foundation." This is indicated before wishing him "success" with the initiative.
Vítor Escária arrested
In November 2023, Vítor Escária was arrested in the context of the anti-corruption operation in the lithium and green hydrogen sector. The case that led to the fall of Costa's government, the call for elections, and the victory of Luís Montenegro, of the Social Democratic Party (PSD).
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