Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has been embroiled in an ever-expanding corruption scandal. According to a report in the Guardian, Sanchez’s younger brother David is facing allegations of influence and misuse of public office in a trial that started today. The specific allegation is that in 2017, when his brother was the head of the Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party (PSOE), but not yet the Prime Minister, David Sanchez, who is a music composer, was given a job as the music coordinator for a group of public music schools in the southwestern Spanish province of Badajoz. On top of that, Sanchez’s wife, Begona Sanchez, is facing allegations that she used her influence to secure a position at Madrid’s Complutense University and to use her husband’s connections to further her own career. Sanchez’s predecessor and close ally is also facing a massive corruption scandal involving the £46 million government bailout of Plus Ultra, a Spanish airline with reported links to Venezuela. It is unclear what will happen next, but there are already several other corruption scandals involving Sanchez either directly or indirectly, so I wouldn’t be surprised if he is removed from power one way or another.
Author: petercrispin
Sporting Diplomacy in Colombian Society and Politics: “Soft Power” and Football
Note: I recently wrote a piece about Football’s role in Colombian Society. It is not directly linked to corruption.
Colombia has a rich football (soccer) history, deeply intertwined with society and politics. Starting in the 1930s, around the time of the first World Cup, Colombia did not have the recognized teams or facilities, nor the popularity, for the game that it would have in successive years. By the 1980s, there was an explosion in football’s popularity, partly spurred by the drug lord Pablo Escobar, who invested millions in football infrastructure to improve his image. Politics, too, played a role in “soft power” influence; in the most recent election, the right-wing candidate Abelardo De La Espriella cloaked himself in the national football jersey in a bid to win support from fans. Football continues to be linked to efforts to influence public opinion in society and politics.
A Brief History of Football in Colombia
Football’s growth as a mainstream sport in Colombia began to accelerate during the 1930s, as improving economic conditions and government funding for public works projects allowed for the development of football stadiums. By 1938, Colombia’s rising football reputation allowed it to host the Bolivarian Games, a FIFA-sanctioned event between Colombia and its South American neighbors (Blakeslee, 2026). After World War II, the newly formed Colombian football league became a desirable destination for many players, particularly players who had emigrated to Argentina from Italy, because of the higher salaries in Colombia; in 1948, the Argentine Football Association (AFA) instituted a maximum salary of 1500 Pesos (at the time, was $350), thus many players decided to move to Colombia, where there were no such restrictions (Blakeslee, 2026).
Pablo Escobar and His Role in Colombian “Narcoball”
By the 1980s, Pablo Escobar and his Medellin drug cartel played a prominent, if infamous, role in Colombian society. Born in 1948 to a middle-class family in rural Colombia, his father to run his farm, and Pablo was sent to live with his grandmother in Medellin. While studying political science there at Universidad de Antioquia, a need to pay tuition fees drove the young Escobar into drug dealing. In the 1970s, he formed the Medellín cartel and became successful very quickly; by 1989, Escobar was listed seventh on Forbes Magazine’s list of billionaires, with a reported fortune of $20 billion. His wealth was such that he could afford these expenditures, despite what his brother Roberto, his accountant, said: the cartel was forced to write off 10 percent of earnings each year “due to spoilage such as water damage, rodents or simply misplacing the cash” (Allen, 2015).
During his rise to riches, Escobar had gained cult-like status as a Robin Hood-type figure among many Colombians in Medellin, particularly the working class, as he built houses, football pitches, and other infrastructure projects to help them (Allen, 2015). Escobar organized all-star matches featuring teams of the country’s best players. He then invested further in football by buying his local Medellin club, Atlético Nacional (Allen, 2015). Nacional’s rise in the late 1980s was fueled solely by vast amounts of laundered drug money, and the concept of Narco football was born.
In 1993, Pablo Escobar died in a shootout with the Colombian National Police; with his death, the ironclad grip that Pablo Escobar had on the criminal underworld there ended, creating a massive power vacuum and infighting among drug cartel rivals. At this same time, some of the best players in South America played in the Colombian league, and the national team qualified for the U.S.-hosted 1994 World Cup. The captain of the Colombian team, Andres Escobar (no relation to Pablo), known as El Caballero del Fútbol (the Gentleman of Football), was much loved by his teammates (Glendenning, 2018). In the second group match between Colombia and the U.S. team, Andrés Escobar conceded an unfortunate own goal that ultimately knocked Colombia out of the tournament. Shortly after the team returned home, Andres Escobar went out to a nightclub in Medellin with friends, despite being warned of the potential threats to his life, and Escobar was fatally shot (Glendenning, 2018). It was widely assumed that henchmen loyal to the now-deceased Pablo Escobar were behind the attack. This is yet another sad example of how football and crime are intertwined in Colombian society.
Football and Politics in Colombia
In August of 2022, after years of right-wing leadership, leftist politician Gustavo Petro came to power, intent on implementing wide-scale reforms to the education and healthcare systems, rebalancing the unequal distribution of income, and tax reforms that would benefit the worst off in society (Meyer, 2024). However, Petro’s right-wing opponents succeeded in setting up legislative and judicial roadblocks to prevent him from passing his widespread reforms—the entrenched right-wing political establishment.
In the June 2026 election, between the left-wing candidate Ivan Cepeda and the right-wing candidate Abelardo De la Espriella, Trump’s backing increased De la Espriella’s chances (Correal, 2026). In addition, Espriella cloaked himself in the yellow of the Colombian national football team jersey to garner populist support (Zea, 2026). According to Correal in the New York Times, Espriella won the election on June 21 by a razor-thin margin against Cepeda.
Conclusion
Colombian football, as in other countries, impacts society. De La Espriella, like Jair Bolsonaro in Brazil and other leaders throughout the world, used football as a vehicle to boost his political standing. Pablo Escobar, a drug lord, used his money to fund football and increase the popularity of football in the country, which also helped to influence his reputation positively. As I write this, the Colombian national team has qualified for the knockout phase of this year’s World Cup. If they advance, we can expect others in Colombia to attach themselves to football as a way of currying favor through sporting diplomacy.
Works Cited
Allen, Jamie. “Pablo Escobar and the Narco-Fútbol Years.” These Football Times, May 30, 2015. https://thesefootballtimes.co/2015/05/30/pablo-escobar-narco-futbol/
Blakeslee, Brandon. “An Age of Piracy or a Golden Era: An Economic History of Colombian Football from Obscurity to International Notoriety, 1918-1954.” Fast Capitalism 23, no. 1, June 16, 2026. https://doi.org/10.32855/1930-014x.1513
Correal, Annie. “Trump Called Iván Cepeda a ‘Radical Left Marxist.’ Can He Be Colombia’s President? – The New York Times.” New York Times, June 20, 2026. https://www.nytimes.com/2026/06/20/world/americas/ivan-cepeda-colombia-president-election.html
Glendenning, Barry. “World Cup Stunning Moments: Andrés Escobar’s Deadly Own Goal | Colombia | The Guardian.” The Guardian, April 3, 2018. https://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2014/mar/25/world-cup-moments-andres-escobar-death
Meyer, Sara. “Visionary or Dreamer? Colombia’s President Put to the Test – BTI Blog.” BTI Transformation Index, December 5, 2024. https://blog.bti-project.org/2024/12/05/visionary-or-dreamer-colombias-president-put-to-the-test/ Zea , Tibisay. “In Colombia, a Soccer Jersey Gets Caught up in Politics amid World Cup – Csmonitor.Com.” Christian Science Monitor, June 17, 2026. https://www.csmonitor.com/World/Americas/2026/0617/colombia-world-cup-soccer-jersey-de-la-espriella-cepeda-petro?icid=rss
The World Cup of Greed.
The World Cup is almost upon us, but what should be a moment of joy for football supporters around the world doesn’t quite feel that way (at least for me and many other supporters). There are many issues surrounding this World Cup and the hosts, particularly the U.S. Chief among them is the extremely high cost of tickets. There have also been concerns about the difficulties supporters from certain countries are facing in entering the country. Finally, there are major concerns about the high summer temperatures for players, staff, and supporters in the stands.
The biggest issue written about regarding the upcoming tournament is the high cost of tickets. For this World Cup, FIFA has three ticketing categories: category 1, the highest-priced; category 2, the middle-priced; and category 3, the lowest-priced. According to a report in The Athletic from last October, when the tickets first went on sale, the average price of a category 3 was around $250. In recent months, the prices have only risen further. For example, in April, tickets in category 3 for the U.S. national team’s opening match were selling for $1,120 per ticket. The same applied to many of the other group-stage matches, where prices rose by around 27 percent. All of this appears to be pure greed on the part of FIFA, who know that dynamic pricing has taken over the U.S ticketing market in recent years. So a certain type of person will be willing to pay through the nose for nosebleed seats, while the majority of society will be left watching on TV.
If you are one of the lucky few who can afford to get to a match, you will be in for a shock when you find out about the cost of parking and transportation. According to another report in The Athletic, FIFA raised the cost of parking outside of stadiums in February from around $75 to $175 or, in some cases, even more. Also, FIFA has priced disabled parking passes at around the same prices. At Sofi Stadium in Los Angeles, a disabled parking pass can cost $300. FIFA, being FIFA, decided to apply the same “variable pricing strategy” to parking ticketing as well. On top of the parking situation, certain cities, such as New York, are charging $98 to take the train to and from the stadium. No matter how you look at it, just getting to a match is going to be an expensive endeavor.
Another major issue facing this World Cup is immigration, including visa and enforcement issues that may affect participants of all kinds. According to a report in the Washington Post, stadium workers in LA are threatening to strike before the U.S opener on Friday due to concerns over ICE raids. On top of that, supporters from countries such as Haiti are banned from entering the country. Even supporters from countries where obtaining a U.S. visa is normally a straightforward process have reported difficulties obtaining a visa. All of this has led to an unnecessary climate where even supporters from nations such as England have had second thoughts about attending matches, particularly those taking place in the U.S.
Speaking of the climate, many concerns have been raised about the extreme summer temperatures during the tournament. All 48 nations taking part in the tournament will face challenges due to the long travel distances between venues across three different countries. On top of that, some venues, such as Mexico City, are at high altitudes that can negatively affect performance. The biggest overall, though, will be the oppressive heat and humidity in places such as Kansas City and Miami. While there is no ideal solution, most medical staff will have strategies to address the various challenges that arise. Another issue is how the heat will affect supporters in the stands. According to another report in The Athletic, up until a few days ago, FIFA reversed a decision that prohibited supporters from bringing their own water bottles into stadiums. They clearly realized that not allowing water bottles could prove extremely dangerous for supporters.
All in all, this is shaping up to be a fascinating tournament both on and off the pitch. From a personal perspective, it is disappointing that the city where I live isn’t hosting any of the matches. However, I most likely wouldn’t have been able to afford a ticket anyway. FIFA has done an excellent job of pricing out a large number of dedicated supporters like me who genuinely love the sport and the good that it is (supposed) to stand for. This should have been the moment when football took off in this country; however, the only people who will seemingly witness it are the top 1%. While I am looking forward to the tournament, FIFA has succeeded in sucking some of the joy out of the beautiful game.
Ex-CIA Employee Facing Public Theft Charge.
Last Friday, a former high-level CIA official was arrested after $40 million in gold bars were found at his home. According to a report in the Washington Post, Rush, who worked for the CIA directorate for Science & Technology, created a fake “special access program”. Special access programs are reserved for the most top-secret intelligence in the U.S. government; as such, even high-level intelligence personnel need special clearance to access an individual program. According to a report in the New York Times, Rush was charged with filling out false time sheets based on a lie about being a Navy reservist. When the police raided Rush’s house, they also seized 3 dozen high-end watches and a large amount of foreign currency. It is unclear what will happen to Rush; however, I would think a long spell behind bars will be in order.
Former SNP Chief Murrell to Face Long Prison Sentence.
Yesterday, the former chief executive of the Scottish National Party, Peter Murrell, was found guilty of embezzling £450k in party funds. According to a report in the Guardian, current SNP leader John Swinney claims to have been unaware of Murrell’s actions, as does his ex-wife and former first minister Nicola Sturgeon. The sheer amount of money spent and the variety of items is mind-boggling. According to a report on ITV, Murrell spent £3k on a high-end coffee machine, as well as £2k on salt and pepper shakers, a new VW Golf, a new Jaguar, and a £124k motorhome. The length of Murrell is unclear as of this writing, but he should have plenty of time to read the book of selected speeches by his ex-wife that he bought for £22.
Adani to be Cleared in Bribery Case.
Yesterday, news reports emerged that Gautam Adani, one of India’s richest men and an ally of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, will have the bribery charges against him dropped. According to a report in the Washington Post, Adani was facing charges that he paid millions in bribes to Indian government officials while telling U.S.-based investors about his strong anti-bribery principles. U.S prosecutors alleged that Adani, worth $104 billion, bribed Indian officials to the tune of $250 Million to secure solar energy contracts. In an interesting twist, Adani said that if his case were dropped, he would invest 10 billion in the U.S. economy. For someone who is being cleared in a large-scale bribery case, offering $10 billion in investments to the U.S. economy sounds suspiciously like a bribe.
Polish Government Seeking the Extradition of Ziobro from the U.S.
The Polish Government announced that it was seeking the extradition of its former justice minister, Zbigniew Ziobro, from Hungary to the U.S According to a report in The Guardian, Ziobro is facing allegations of diverting funds meant to go towards victims of crime to his own personal interests. In particular, Ziobro is accused of buying the controversial Israeli software Pegasus to listen in on his political opponents. Ziobro was being sheltered in Hungary by the now former president Viktor Orban. It is an open question whether Ziobro will actually face justice back in Poland.
Tensions between Mexico and the U.S rise due to Moya’s indictment.
Last Wednesday, the Department of Justice Charged Ruben Rocha Moya, the governor of Sinaloa in Mexico, with conspiracy with the Sinaloa drug cartel. According to a report in the Washington Post, Moya allegedly helped transport drugs such as fentanyl in the U.S in return for political favors involving the Sinaloa cartel. This further complicates an already fraught relationship between the Trump administration and Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum. Last Saturday, Moya resigned, according to a report in Al Jazeera that also states that in the 2021 Mexican election, Moya supported members of the cartel who threatened Moya’s political opponents with kidnapping as well as stuffing ballot boxes on election day. It is unclear what will happen next to Moya, but I have a feeling he will be extradited to the U.S.
Cherfilus-McCormick Resigns Before Congressional Investigation.
Last week, Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, a Democratic representative from Florida, resigned before an investigation into her allegedly embezzling $5 million in disaster relief funds to fund her 2021 Congressional campaign. According to a report in the New York Times, McCormick used the five million from FEMA, which was supposed to help register people for vaccines during COVID. Instead, she used most of the money to fund her campaign and the rest for personal use. Despite resigning from Congress, she is still facing federal criminal charges and could spend up to 53 years in prison. It is unclear what will happen next, but it is not a great look for the democrats, who are trying to highlight corruption on the other side of the aisle.
Former Bulgarian President Radev reclaims Power.
This morning, the former president of Bulgaria, Rumen Radev, was sworn in as Prime Minister with a resounding majority. He had been the president of Bulgaria (a largely ceremonial role). According to a report in the Washington Post, Radev was the leader of the anti-corruption protests that toppled the previous government of Boyko Borisov. While taking a strong anti-corruption stance is admirable, Radev also appears to have some pro-Russian sentiments in openly criticizing the previous government’s warm relations with Ukraine. According to a report in Al-Jazeera Bulgarian police have seized $1.1 million that was allegedly used in buying votes and subsequently many political figures including local councilors and mayors have been arrested. I applaud Radev for taking a strong anti-corruption stance, but I fear that could be undermined if he forges close links to Putin and Russia.
Crispin Corruption Report 