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Robles signs Antonio Balas' promotion to colonel in the UCO

Margarita Robles has formalized the promotion of Lieutenant Colonel Antonio Balas, who will remain in the UCO due to a judicial request.

4 September 2026Tagblick Newsdesk

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Archive photo: Robles signs Antonio Balas' promotion to colonel in the UCO — Archive photoPhoto: Marcel Antonisse · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 3.0 nl

Margarita Robles, Minister of Defense, has signed the promotion of Lieutenant Colonel Antonio Balas to the rank of Colonel in the Civil Guard. According to information from the Official Bulletin of the Ministry of Defense, Balas will remain in service in the Central Operational Unit (UCO) until the matters causing his current situation are resolved, which includes ongoing investigations as part of the Koldo case.

Judge Moreno, along with the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office, requested that Balas continue to lead the UCO team conducting the investigation related to this case. Balas' promotion was formalized on September 1, allowing him to continue leading the inquiries in his current position.

Through his continued presence in the UCO, Balas will keep operating in investigations covering several cases, including the Koldo case and the Leire Díez case. It has been emphasized that his continuation depends on the duration of the matters prompting his promotion.

According to the Official Bulletin, Balas will be removed from his position when the reasons justifying it cease, when a successor assumes the vacancy, he obtains a new posting, or the maximum duration established for his tenure is reached.

The agreement on his promotion is a significant step in the context of these investigations in the National Court, where possible irregularities involving members of the government environment of Pedro Sánchez are being examined.

This development has occurred at a time when the work of the UCO is crucial for advancing high-profile cases, and the future of the investigation will depend on judicial and administrative decisions made in the coming months.

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