Santos Cerdán recounts isolation and pivotal role in book

Former PSOE secretary of organization Santos Cerdán has released a self-published book, "La caída", detailing his sense of abandonment after being implicated in corruption probes. He claims innocence and describes himself as the architect of Pedro Sánchez's political success, connecting incompatible parties and negotiating crucial deals.

Key claims from his book:

• He was left without legal or political support "en cuestión de horas" after accusations emerged Source: La Vanguardia.
• The photograph with Carles Puigdemont in 2023 marked "un antes y un después" in Spanish politics and his own life Source: La Vanguardia.
• He asserts he was Sánchez's sole interlocutor with parties like PNV, stating: "con el PNV sólo habla Santi y Santi sólo me reporta a mí" Source: El Mundo.

Contrasting view: El Mundo interprets the book as a warning, arguing that Cerdán reveals the "dark architecture" behind Sánchez's governance, including the erosion of institutional controls and the extraction of public resources. The editorial suggests Cerdán is not a scapegoat but a central figure in a system that relies on personal loyalty and bypassing traditional checks Source: El Mundo.

Cerdán insists he resigned voluntarily and that Sánchez never demanded his resignation Source: El Mundo. He reasserts his role: "Mi papel era el de hacer que las cosas pasaran" Source: La Vanguardia.