3 min readNew DelhiUpdated: Aug 9, 2026 06:09 AM IST
The Spanish government is reportedly recalling its ambassador to India, Juan Antonio March Pujol, amidst allegations of financial irregularities. A new envoy is anticipated to assume the position within the coming weeks, according to confirmations from sources within the Indian government provided to The Indian Express.
Sources indicate that Ambassador March has already departed the country and a seasoned career diplomat from the Spanish Foreign Ministry is slated to succeed him shortly.
Spanish media outlet, The Objective, disclosed that the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office initiated an investigation following a report in late May from a Foreign Ministry official, detailing the alleged financial misconduct. This report precipitated the process to replace Ambassador March, who had presented his credentials to President Droupadi Murmu in July 2024.
According to The Objective, in February of the current year, events featuring an Indian dance company and both Spanish and Chinese vocalists were orchestrated in Rajasthan. These events, reportedly spearheaded by Ambassador March to commemorate the 70th anniversary of diplomatic relations between India and Spain, allegedly proceeded without Madrid’s prior authorization.
The Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID) subsequently vetoed these activities after receiving an adverse report from the cultural attaché of the Spanish embassy.
As per the Spanish media outlet, the Chinese singer reportedly received €18,000 from the Spanish embassy in 2025 for concerts organized by the Spanish ambassador. For 2026, the Spanish envoy purportedly planned additional performances, budgeted at €14,000, with costs intended to be covered by corporate sponsors and the Rajasthan government, without informing the Spanish Foreign Ministry.
The Objective further reports that the ambassador initially sought €40,500 from Spanish companies and the Rajasthan government to compensate the three artists. It is alleged that these proposed sponsorships were intended for direct payment to the organizing group, bypassing official embassy accounts. The Spanish embassy’s cultural attaché reportedly stated that the Spanish envoy explicitly instructed him not to log these activities into the internal accounting system—a mandatory procedure for all embassy cultural events.
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It is also alleged that the Spanish envoy independently negotiated a €5,000 contribution from an Indian company. He purportedly instructed the cultural attaché to arrange international flights for the Chinese and Spanish singers through this particular company. The attaché subsequently reported that AECID possessed no record of this activity and that established protocols were not being adhered to.
The Indian Express sought comment from the Spanish embassy regarding these allegations involving the Spanish ambassador, but has not yet received a response.
Prior to his appointment as Spain’s ambassador to India, March served as the President of Fundación Onuart, an organization dedicated to promoting the value and positive influence of art in international relations. His earlier diplomatic postings included roles at the UN in Geneva (2004-07), the WTO (2004-07), and in Russia (2007-11) and Armenia (2009-11), among others.
