Oscar Puente announced his resignation as Spain’s transport minister after more than four hours answering questions in Congress about the fatal train crash in Urda, Toledo. He said he had decided to leave after learning the scale of the disaster, but waited for initial findings and to address lawmakers before making the decision public. Puente also gave up his place at the head of the PSOE’s list for Valladolid in the November 29 election.
Puente described his departure as a decision of “political dignity” and invoked the example of former Portuguese minister Jorge Coelho, who resigned after a bridge collapse in 2001. “Blame cannot die unmarried,” Puente said, explaining that he wanted his decision to help restore dignity to politics.
The crash in Urda killed 69 people, according to the reports cited in the account. Puente’s resignation came amid scrutiny of his handling of the disaster and calls for him to step down from opposition parties and some parliamentary allies. The reports also refer to the Adamuz and Gelida rail accidents, describing the three incidents as having caused 116 deaths in total.
Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez praised Puente for facing the crisis, offering explanations and proposing measures before stepping aside. Puente said he informed Sánchez by WhatsApp only minutes before announcing his resignation in Congress. The government said he would remain in office until his departure formally takes effect; Sánchez must then decide whether to appoint a new transport minister or assign the portfolio to another member of the cabinet.
Opposition leaders argued that Puente’s resignation was not enough. People’s Party leader Alberto Núñez Feijóo urged Sánchez to follow his minister’s example, while Vox leader Santiago Abascal also called on the prime minister to resign. The PP said Puente’s departure came too late and accused the government of failing to take responsibility.
Socialist figures defended Puente’s decision, describing it as an assumption of political responsibility and praising his conduct during the emergency. Other reactions were more qualified: ERC’s Gabriel Rufián called Puente a good politician who had faced the issue, but said attention should focus on the rail system, while EH Bildu’s Mertxe Aizpurua urged that investigators establish what happened before individual workers were blamed. Sumar and the PNV had also called for Puente to leave during his parliamentary appearance, while distinguishing political responsibility from direct blame for the crash.
Sources: La Vanguardia.