Spain has begun replacing Ambassador Juan Antonio March Pujol. [1] The Print reported Saturday at 7:18 p.m. IST that Alfredo Martínez Serrano, Spain's ambassador to Canada, is expected to take charge in New Delhi once India grants approval. The formal handover is expected in the next few weeks.

The move follows a Foreign Ministry report to the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor in May, as reported by The Objective. [1] The Print is careful: Spanish media reports do not establish that the allegations are proven. Those allegations include embassy-funded concerts for non-Spanish artists during the Spain-India Dual Year and a personal arrangement in which BLS, the visa processor, would contribute €5,000 toward a Rajasthan event.

A named successor is not a verdict. AECID vetoed the Dual Year concerts. March saw New Delhi as his last post before a February 2028 retirement. Saturday's completed stage is a replacement process and a name, not a finding of guilt.

March took up the post in September 2024 after a long delay in agrément. [1] The Objective's allegations include concerts timed to the Dual Year and the ambassador's birthday, a Chinese mezzo paid from the embassy cultural budget, and a daughter said to be living at the residence while doing business. The Print repeats those claims as allegations. Saturday's completed fact is the named successor.

-- LUCIA VEGA, São Paulo