The Spanish Minister of Transport, Óscar Puente, announced his resignation this Tuesday and refused to run as a candidate in the next general elections, six days after the Urda train accident, in Toledo, which left 69 dead.

First modification: 11/03/2026 - 21:28 Last modification: 11/03/2026 - 22:00

Óscar Puente announced this Tuesday his resignation as Minister of Transport of Spain and resigned from heading the PSOE list for Valladolid in the elections on November 29. The decision comes six days after the Urda train accident, in Toledo, which caused 69 deaths. During his appearance in Congress, Puente affirmed that this is a decision of “political dignity” and maintained that he seeks to contribute to regaining trust in the institutions.

“Guilt cannot die single”

Puente recalled the case of Portuguese Minister Jorge Coelho, who resigned in 2001 after the collapse of a bridge that left 59 dead. “He then used a phrase that I want to make mine: 'Guilt cannot die single,'” he said.

The outgoing minister defended that his resignation “is good for the country and for democracy” and linked it to a citizen demand for political responsibility. “A mature democracy, a strong, prosperous and modern country, not a failed state as some maintain,” he said.

Puente also rejected the idea that all politicians are equal. In his opinion, this statement fuels distrust in democracy and weakens the defense of public services and the rule of law. “The people only save the people at the polls, voting for those who support them, not those who only want to use them to perpetuate the privileges of a minority,” he said.

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Conflicting reactions after resignation

The leader of Vox, Santiago Abascal, directed his criticism at the President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez, and stated that he is the one who should resign and put himself at judicial disposal. In a message published in X, he accused the president of hiding behind his collaborators and linked Puente's departure with other cases that his party questions.

From the Popular Party, the deputy secretary of the Treasury, Juan Bravo, described the resignation as “a confession of guilt” and maintained that it comes “116 lives too late.” Bravo also questioned whether it was presented as a gesture of dignity and recalled that Sánchez had kept Puente in office.

In contrast, Ada Colau, head of the Frente Amplio list and one of the voices that had demanded the minister's departure, thanked “the dignity of this difficult gesture.” In a message on X, he considered that the resignation could be “a step forward to regain the trust in the train that our country deserves.”

Puente had not communicated his decision

The minister assured that he had not shared his decision with the President of the Government or his team. After announcing it in the Permanent Deputation of Congress, he apologized to several socialist deputies for not having informed them sooner.

Puente made the decision, as he explained, in the first moments after the tragedy, but he waited to learn about the first investigations into the accident before making it public. His departure comes amid criticism from the opposition and new demands for guarantees for railway safety.

With Reuters, EFE and local media.

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