3 min readNew DelhiAug 9, 2026 06:09 AM IST
First published on: Aug 8, 2026 at 09:15 PM IST
Spanish ambassador to India, Juan Antonio March Pujol, is being recalled by the Spanish government over alleged financial irregularities, and a new envoy is expected to replace him in the next few weeks, sources in the Indian government have confirmed to The Indian Express.
Sources said that March has left the country and will be soon replaced by a senior career diplomat from the Spanish Foreign Ministry.
Spanish media outlet, the Objective, reported that the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office received a report in late May from a Foreign Ministry official regarding the alleged financial misconduct. That prompted the process to replace envoy March, who had presented his credentials to President Droupadi Murmu in July 2024.
According to the Objective, in February this year events involving an Indian dance company, Spanish and Chinese singers were organised in Rajasthan reportedly at March’s initiative to mark 70th anniversary of India-Spain diplomatic relations, but without Madrid’s approval.
The Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID) vetoed them after a report from the cultural attaché of the Spanish embassy.
According to the Spanish media outlet, the Chinese singer received Euros 18,000 from the Spanish embassy in 2025 for concerts organised by the Spanish ambassador. For 2026, the Spanish envoy planned more performances for Euros 14,000 with costs to be covered by companies and the Rajasthan government, without informing the Spanish Foreign ministry.
According to Objective, the ambassador initially sought Euros 40,500 from Spanish companies and the Rajasthan government to pay the three artists. It is alleged that the proposed sponsorships were to be paid directly to the organising group, rather than through embassy accounts. The Spanish embassy’s cultural attaché reported that the Spanish envoy instructed him not to enter the activities in the internal accounting system — a step mandatory for embassy cultural events.
It is alleged that the Spanish envoy also independently negotiated a 5,000-Euros contribution from an Indian company. He allegedly instructed the cultural attaché to arrange international flights for the Chinese and the Spanish singers through that company. The attaché reported that AECID had no record of the activity and that established procedures were not being followed.
The Indian Express reached out to the Spanish embassy for comment from the Spanish ambassador on the issue, but there was no response so far.
Before his appointment as Spain’s ambassador to India, March was the President of Fundación Onuart, an organisation specialising on the value and positive impact of art on international relations. March had earlier been posted at the UN in Geneva (2004-07), WTO (2004-07), and in Russia (2007-11) and Armenia (2009-11), among others.
Before his appointment as Spain’s ambassador to India, Juan Antonio March Pujol was the President of Fundación Onuart, an organisation specialising on the value and positive impact of art on international relations (Express Photo) 
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