The Altius Spain Foundation, a fundamental stone in the scaffolding of Legionaries of Christ, ultra -Catholic group with a history marked by the pedophile of its founder and some followers, has received an economic support of the Government of Isabel Díaz Ayuso. In the last six months, three councils of the Madrid Executive have granted Altius 13 subsidies whose sum amounts to 3.3 million euros according to official data.
Constituted in 2002 by the Legionaries, owners of private schools of elite who reach rates of almost 1,000 euros per month by student, Altius was “penalized” a year ago for “serious offense” when breaching a contract of 523,739 euros that, with money from the strict EU, had awarded the Community of Madrid for the reception, training, accompaniment and labor insertion of vulnerable citizens of vulnerable citizens by unemployment intensified by the pandemic. ”
Congregation founded in the forties by the Mexican Marcial Maciel, protagonist of one of the greatest scandals of the Catholic Church in the last century by its sexual abuse of minors and the financial network woven in tax havens, the legionaries of Christ have exceeded in just one semester the amount of the aid received from the Community of Madrid for its Altius Foundation in the previous three years. Again in El Candelero for the complaint of sexual assault on girls in one of its educational centers in Madrid, between January 2021 and December 2023, the Ayuso government transferred 2.78 million to the foundation of the Legionaries. The following subsidy is dated November 25, 2024, which makes it the first of those registered in the last semester.
The annual Altius accounts reflect a vertiginous growth since 2020. If that year the Foundation declared assets worth 1,280,817.51 euros, at the end of 2023 – last available on its website – the figure had been fully quadrupled to be in 5,478,851 euros.
From sanctioner to great benefactor
The greatest benefactor of Altius in the last semester has been the Ministry of Family and Social Affairs, which has granted 1,541,183 euros through five subsidies. It is followed by the Ministry of Economy, Finance and Employment (1,435,356 euros). And the triad completes the Ministry of Digitization (324,900 euros). The imposition of a “penalty” of 15,712 euros – recognition in the amount to be paid to the contractor – for serious offense had been dictated by the Ministry of Family and Social Affairs in April 2024. The cause? That instead of inserting labor at the 534 planned people Altius stayed in 445. The Foundation was justified claiming that for reasons beyond its will the period of execution of the contract had been reduced with respect to the initially planned.
The penalty for breach of public contract does not legally close the door to subsequent subsidies. But, of course, it does not open it for such aids to shoot themselves in a community whose president criticized a month ago the “late generation with Bolivarian connections” that come to “live from the public.” According to Ayuso, there must be “subsidies for those who cannot, and not for those who do not want.”
After knowing the data overturned by the Community of Madrid at the Base of Subsidies, this media asked his communication team why he has granted 3.3 million in six months to an entity sanctioned for serious breach of a contract awarded for the labor insertion of vulnerable persons.
A spokesman for the family counseling, who has contributed almost half of the money delivered in these six months to the foundation of the Legionaries of Christ, responded in this way: “Altius is a social entity dedicated to multiple social projects, mainly to labor insertion of people in vulnerable situation, who opt as any other entity of the sector to public funds and subsidies.”
The source added what follows: “This entity was presented to the tender of a service financed with European funds for a labor insertion project, which fulfilled almost 85% in its objectives. Due to the breach of the remaining 15%, the Ministry of Family, Youth and Social Affairs signed a penalty of 15,700 euros by virtue of the conditions of the contract and of the current regulations.” The 15,712.17 euros have already been discounted from the total amount of the contract for whose breach was punished Altius.
More than Caritas
Legionaries of Christ has the Francisco de Vitoria University, where the price of some degree exceeds 20,000 euros for the first course, as well as equally private schools where the monthly fee is close to high school to the minimum wage: up to 953 euros per student. Assigned to the branch of the Legionaries of Christ called Regnum Christi, in those schools what the group calls “differentiated education” is taught. That is, boys with boys and girls with girls.
The Statutes of Fundación Altius point out as their main object “to promote social action in favor of people who suffer inequality, social exclusion or abuse.” Subsidies granted by the Ayuso government are directed precisely to economic and social integration and the labor insertion of vulnerable people and with little training.
The financial support of the Madrid Executive to the Legionaries of Christ through the subsidies places the Altius Foundation in a preeminent place. This is confirmed by a fact that corroborates the official basis of public aid: in the last six months, the Ayuso team has granted the four Madrid branches of Càritas that operate in the community (Spanish Cáritas, Cáritas Madrid, Cáritas Getafe and Labora-Cáritas Foundation) 2,394,403.24 euros. That is, one million less than Altius.
During that same period, the Food Bank has obtained from the Community of Madrid 1,610,095.59 euros. And the Pinardi Social Platform Federation [salesianos]2.566.693,92 euros.
Source: www.eldiario.es
