The following is a translation of an article published by The Objective.
Ana Duato , the matriarch of the Alcántara family in the timeless gem Cuéntame , not only played Merche, the soul of Spain, but also faced the tax authorities with the same fortitude her character exhibits in the series . Accused of defrauding 1.1 million euros, Duato was undeterred. While others, like her partner Imanol Arias, opted to make a deal with the prosecutor’s office to avoid jail, she decided to stand her ground. “I’m not guilty,” she said, and she carried her truth to the bitter end, until the acquittal this week that resounded like a slam in the face of the Tax Agency. The National Court ruled that there was insufficient evidence that Duato knew she was failing to comply with the tax authorities. Her manager, on the other hand, was sentenced to 80 years.
Xabi Alonso, for his part, is the gentleman from Toulouse who has conquered the Bernabéu not only with his talent but with his integrity. As a footballer, his career is impeccable: world champion, two-time European champion, architect of the Décima with Real Madrid, and, more recently, architect of a Bayer Leverkusen team that broke Bayern Munich’s dominance in the German league.
Since May of this year, Alonso has been the new coach of Real Madrid, a position that not only demands tactical skill but also an almost mystical ability to deal with the expectations of a club that brooks no half measures. But before this new chapter, Alonso also faced off against the tax authorities. Accused of evading five million euros between 2010 and 2012, the Tolosan native refused to compromise, as did other soccer stars. He went to trial, maintained his innocence, and was acquitted by the Supreme Court. A triumph that not only cleared his name but also exposed the methods of a tax authority that acts like a poacher, shooting first and asking questions later.
The irony, dear readers, is that while the Treasury obsessively pursues figures like Duato and Alonso, its oversight mechanisms seem to go blind when the person under investigation holds the membership card of a governing party. Where is the same fiscal ferocity when the politician in question misappropriates funds or becomes entangled in opaque structures? Why does the machinery that crunches the accounts of an actress or a soccer player get bogged down when the person involved is a bigwig with an office in Moncloa? The cases of David Sánchez, the president’s brother, or Miguel Ángel Gallardo, president of the Badajoz Provincial Council, remind us that tax justice has a strange sense of priority. While Duato was facing a 32-year prison sentence and Alonso two and a half years, the bigwigs swim in calmer waters, protected by the cloak of power.
It’s not just Duato and Alonso’s bravery that deserves our praise, but their perseverance. Carrying out a lawsuit against the Treasury is like climbing Everest with a backpack full of stones: every step is an ordeal, every court hearing a precipice. And yet, both persevered. Duato, with her career consolidated as one of the great ladies of Spanish acting, refused to give in to the blackmail of conformity. Her “Cuéntame” isn’t just a series; it’s a mirror of the Spain that endures, that rises after each blow. Alonso, with his impeccable record as a player and his meteoric rise as a coach, has not only restored the enthusiasm of Real Madrid fans, but has also demonstrated that honesty, although expensive, is a long-term investment.
In a country where the tax authorities act like a capricious god, punishing some while absolving others, Duato and Alonso’s fight is a reminder that justice, though slow, sometimes comes. It’s not just a personal victory; it’s a challenge to the system, a slap in the face to the presumption of guilt that the Treasury wields with an iron fist . While the current government boasts of transparency and does everything in its power to avoid scrutiny, these two titans teach us that the truth, like fine wine, requires time, patience, and a courage that doesn’t bend before the roar of the giant. Let the instigators and harassers of this happening take note: fortunately, not everyone will kneel before you.