The Interior Ministry has confirmed that Leire Díez met twice with Civil Guard director general Mercedes González.
The Directorate General of the Armed Institute has issued a statement acknowledging the meetings, contradicting Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska, who days earlier had categorically denied that the meetings took place. According to the statement, the first meeting occurred after González's appointment in September 2024. Díez requested a meeting in a cafe near the Directorate General headquarters in Madrid for a professional introduction, which lasted about 15 minutes and did not address Corps matters. In a later meeting, Díez asked González to rehabilitate Commander Rubén Villalba, who is implicated in the Koldo case. The director flatly rejected the request and ended the conversation. The Civil Guard states that González has never interfered in any investigation.
