Taxpayers’ money funds €750m Moroccan train deal as Spain’s transport minister faces backlash over Renfe sketch

Spain's transportation minister, Óscar Puente, is facing criticism over a recent television sketch that highlighted issues within Spain's railway system. The sketch came just days after a deadly collision at Urda, which has reignited debates about the safety and reliability of Spain's rail network. The accident has also sparked questions about the use of taxpayer money for overseas railway projects, such as a €750 million deal to provide Morocco with 40 intercity trains from Spanish manufacturer CAF.

The Association of Victims of the Adamuz Derailment, which lost 46 people nine months prior, has called for a suspension of rail traffic until the network's safety can be guaranteed. Critics argue that the government's focus on overseas railway projects while neglecting safety concerns at home is misguided and insensitive to the victims of railway disasters.