UCO report: Santos Cerdán rigged the primaries that Pedro Sánchez won in 2014

The situation is becoming more complicated for President Pedro Sánchez. The judge has offered Santos Cerdán the opportunity to testify voluntarily due to the "consistent evidence" that he participated in the corrupt scheme of the Koldo case. A report from the Civil Guard's UCO would reveal that the PSOE's organization secretary, Sánchez's right-hand man, received kickbacks for the awarding of public works contracts.

The last twelve hours have been hellish for Moncloa, which is finding it increasingly difficult to stay in power. More and more details of the report are gradually coming to light, each more scandalous than the last. The latest links Santos Cerdán to the rigging of the primaries that President Pedro Sánchez won in 2014.

Rigging of the primaries in favor of Sánchez

According to information revealed by El Confidencial, the Civil Guard has discovered a message suggesting that Santos Cerdán may have manipulated the election of President Pedro Sánchez as secretary general. The message was sent by Cerdán to Koldo García on July 13, 2014, during the primaries.

"When you finish, mark it as if those two who are missing have voted without anyone seeing you and put in the two ballots," he said. García's response was a brief "It's done."

These communications were found after analyzing Koldo García's devices. Magistrate Leopoldo Puente, from the Supreme Court, considers that this evidence is sufficient to charge Santos Cerdán with criminal organization and bribery offenses. For this reason, the judge has summoned him to testify voluntarily on June 25.

If Cerdán refuses to testify, Puente plans to request a petition from Congress to lift the parliamentary immunity that protects the deputy. This would allow the formal indictment to proceed and the judicial process to continue.

Fewer and fewer options

This finding increases the pressure on the PSOE's organization secretary, who is involved in an investigation that could directly affect his party. It also affects the Government, which is facing mounting scandals and is governing without a budget with a very fragile majority. The investigation remains open, and the case is under the supervision of the Supreme Court.

Cerdán has limited himself to denying the accusations and has said that he will provide the appropriate explanations at the right time. Meanwhile, Moncloa is keeping a cautious stance while waiting to learn the full content of the report. However, right now pessimism has taken hold of the PSOE.

The offer to testify is the first step toward the indictment of Santos Cerdán, the President of the Government's right-hand man. In Ferraz and Moncloa, they know that no government would withstand such a scandal. Now, President Pedro Sánchez is debating between the only two options left: to wait, or to get ahead, dissolve the Government, and call elections.