Los fogones de la Kitchen is a classic example of a journalist uncovering corruption associated with financial crime and political favours.
The story is a deep dive into the illegal operation to spy on the former treasurer of the PP, Luis Bárcenas, by bugging the home of former commissioner José Manuel Villarejo. Audio was discovered that contained information about reserve funds given to a "para-police" operation launched in 2013. The operation was used to find compromising documentation that former treasurer Luis Bárcenas could keep for the PP.
Thanks to Vázquez’s investigative reporting, several people involved in the scheme have already been charged, and Congress is currently creating an investigative commission to find who was involved— criminally and politically.
This story made our list because of how it immerses the reader in the investigation. Features like timeline illustrations and scrollytelling mean the reader can follow the investigation chronologically, and hand-drawn graphics bring to life text messages uncovered during the investigation.
