Sira Rego endorsed Óscar Puente's resignation and described it as the "first step to repair the pain" of the victims of the Urda (Toledo) train accident, while demanding political accountability for events of this nature.
The Minister of Youth and Childhood, who participated in the signing of the Salamanca Forum Declaration AI and Childhood, maintained that the former Minister of Transport and Sustainable Mobility has acted "decently" and that now it is time to work "diligently."
Political responsibility, but also reparation and limits of the position
"It's time to take charge of the families' pain and what has happened," said Rego, who insisted on distinguishing between different levels of responsibility. In her opinion, in a democratic country it is "a very healthy exercise" for political leaders to also assume political responsibility when serious episodes occur.
In that framework, she defended as a "mechanism of democratic health" for a public official to step aside when the situation demands it. "The first step to begin to repair also consists of stepping aside," she said, although she added that the damage suffered by the victims is "incalculable."
The minister also pointed out that "Óscar Puente has done well," and noted that now it is time to work on initiating reparation through the assumption of the position at disposal and resignation.
Transport, liberalizations and a warning against corruption
Rego took advantage of her intervention to call for a transport system with "all possible guarantees," which she defined as a right of citizens. She also demanded a review of "the part of the model that has to do with the pattern of liberalizations" and to reformulate it, although this review coexists with the demands of the European Union.
"Perhaps what is needed at this moment is to know to what extent it is necessary to stand up against certain policies," she added, in a message aimed at questioning this pattern of liberalization beyond the specific case.
Asked about the arrests made in recent hours by the UCO in relation to the 'Koldo case', the minister marked "zero tolerance" for corruption. "Justice must investigate, the corrupt must pay," she stressed, before recalling that she comes from a political space that has been "very forceful" on this matter.
Rego closed that block with a political warning: "zero tolerance for corruption and zero tolerance also for those who are somehow agreeing with corrupt people to strike at governments."
