Crisis in PSOE: UCO's report brings down Cerdán and puts Sánchez on the ropes

PSOE's Organization Secretary, Santos Cerdán León, has resigned from all his positions and has handed in his seat as a deputy. The decision comes just a few hours after a report from the Central Operative Unit (UCO) of the Civil Guard became public.

The report places him at the center of an alleged political corruption network with links to public contracting, especially in the internal process that elevated President Pedro Sánchez to the party's general secretary in 2014.

In a statement from PSOE's headquarters on Ferraz Street in Madrid, the President and party general secretary offered explanations after Santos Cerdán's resignation, who until now was the party's number three. Visibly serious, Sánchez began by apologizing to the public.

President Pedro Sánchez points out that until this very morning he kept trust in Cerdán's integrity. All this despite the fact that there were rumors about his possible involvement in the so-called "Koldo case". "Until this very morning I was convinced of Santos Cerdán's integrity." "There were rumors, but there was no evidence of his participation in the Koldo case. This morning we were able to learn of that evidence in the UCO report, and it's very serious evidence," the President stated.

Sánchez emphasized that no political system is completely immune to corruption, but PSOE must apply the principle of zero tolerance. "In this world, zero corruption doesn't exist, but there must be zero tolerance when it occurs," he clarified.

In that vein, he announced a series of internal measures within the party. "I want to announce that I'll launch an external audit of PSOE's accounts and I'll promote a renewal of the Federal Executive Committee," he stated.

Regarding the rumors of a possible early election call, he was unequivocal. "There won't be elections until 2027. This isn't about me, it's about a political project that's doing good things for our country." He wanted to make it clear that the stability of the government isn't in question. "There's no government crisis. What has happened is a crisis of trust within the party, not in the government."

The police report attributes to Cerdán an "active role" in practices that allegedly influenced the outcome of the 2014 primaries. The same primaries that President Sánchez won through an alleged structure of territorial support fueled by resources of irregular origin.

Although Cerdán hadn't previously been formally linked to these events, the UCO report provides documentary evidence and recordings. All of them call into question the integrity of the process that marked a turning point in Spanish socialism.

UCO Puts PSOE Against the Ropes

Meanwhile, the latest UCO report includes especially sensitive evidence. A text message attributed to Santos Cerdán sent to Koldo García, his former collaborator. The content of the message points directly to a possible manipulation in the socialist primaries process held in July 2014.

The text from July 13, 2014, read: "When you finish, mark it as if those two who are missing have voted without anyone seeing you and put in the two ballots". According to investigators, this communication could be clear evidence of a manipulation of the internal voting procedure in favor of President Sánchez.

The inclusion of this message in the police dossier reinforces suspicions about the role Cerdán played at the beginning of PSOE's current leadership. It places him as an alleged participant in a scheme that already implicates former minister José Luis Ábalos and Koldo García. Both are under investigation for a corruption network linked to public contracting and the collection of commissions.

In a press release issued on Thursday morning, Cerdán defended his innocence. He stated that "he has never committed an illegal act nor has he been an accomplice to any". "I hope this way I can devote myself exclusively to my defense," said the now former socialist leader, who will voluntarily appear before the Supreme Court on June 25. He'll do so after receiving formal notification that he's being offered the opportunity to testify.

After Santos Cerdán's resignation from his seat as a deputy, the judge in charge of the Koldo case at the Supreme Court, Leopoldo Puente, will be able to continue the investigation without needing to request authorization from Congress. By losing his parliamentary immunity, no parliamentary permission will be required. The judge will be able to further investigate the proceedings linking him to the alleged collection of illegal commissions in exchange for public contracts.

Beyond his institutional message, the resignation seems to have less to do with a gesture of generosity toward the party. It has more to do with the magnitude of the evidence gathered by UCO. The report includes recordings of ministerial adviser Koldo García Izaguirre—Cerdán's former driver and a key figure in the so-called "Koldo case." As well as testimonies from businesspeople linked to public works contracting schemes, including builder Víctor de Aldama.

The Origin of Everything: The 2014 Primaries

One of the most serious revelations in the police report points directly to the primaries held in July 2014. In those, President Pedro Sánchez defeated Eduardo Madina and José Antonio Pérez Tapias. According to UCO, Cerdán was one of the logistical architects of the winning candidacy.

In a conversation recorded in 2021, Koldo García reminds Cerdán that "everything we did so Pedro could get there" can't go unanswered. Meanwhile, he demands "that he fulfill his part" in reference to allegedly promised payments after contracts were awarded to construction companies. The report also states that Cerdán facilitated Koldo's access to José Luis Ábalos's inner circle. This later allowed him to become the minister's personal adviser.

The Civil Guard links this triangle—Cerdán, Ábalos, and Koldo—to a clientelist structure that allegedly operated before President Sánchez arrived at Moncloa, and which was consolidated during his time in government. This caused supposed financial rewards for the manipulation of public contracts.

Money, Favors, and Bids

The report details in depth the awarding of contracts to companies such as OPR and LIC. These were allegedly manipulated through biased technical reports and rigged subjective evaluations to favor certain construction companies. In exchange, the political leaders—among them Ábalos, Koldo, and allegedly Cerdán—would have received cash payments. Also, simulated hiring of relatives and favors of various kinds.

Additionally, UCO links Cerdán to the management of territories where these exchanges would have taken place. "The north is his," Aldama reportedly stated in his testimony, referring to Cerdán's control over bids in certain areas of the country, including Navarra, his political stronghold.