The EMU was activated throughout the province of Valencia “even though there had already been significant rain and the situation was objectively dramatic.” This was stated by the Minister of Territorial Policy, Ángel Víctor Torres, during his appearance at his own request before the Congress of Deputies this Wednesday. From the podium, the socialist took stock of the events since AEMET warned, Thursday, October 24, of the arrival of a cold drop in certain regions of the country, until the first of three days of declared national mourning , Thursday 31.
The disaster was experienced “in its greatest severity” on Tuesday October 29, even though it dated from the previous Thursday when “AEMET transmitted the forecast of a cold drop” in certain regions of the country. On Sunday the 27th, the agency triggered a “special alert of undesirable phenomena”, because “the probability of torrential rains was high”: “greater than 70%”, Torres said.
Then, D-day arrives on Tuesday 29 at “7:31 a.m.” the orange signal changes to red. First in part of the Valencian coast, then throughout the province. At that time, the minister considered the meaning of the AEMET red notice “relevant”, that is to say when “the danger is extreme”.
Beyond the explanations and recommendations that this level of notification implies, Torres emphasized that all these data “are made public in its official mechanisms” and therefore “they are transferred to the autonomous communities.” This is when their “respective statuses” come into play.
Continuing the chronology, the socialist minister clarified that it was at “12 hours and 07 minutes” when the Hydrographic Confederation of Júcar (CHJ) “reported the increase in the flow of the Rambla del Poyo and continued to report”. “In no case has the Júcar Hydrographic Confederation activated or deactivated any alert because it is not competent for a single thing,” Torres insisted in the face of the exchange of accusations about the responsibilities of all organizations when it came to alerting the population of the imminent danger of this Tuesday the 29th.
However, it was only at 3 p.m. that the intervention of the EMU was “requested” in the “Utiel-Requena” region. Barely 20 minutes later, “the Minister of Justice and Interior convenes the Cecopi meeting at 5 p.m.”, the center which “manages emergencies”, Torres said.
Two hours and 17 minutes later, “emergency level two is activated by the Valencian Community for the entire province of Valencia.” After approximately 17 minutes, “a massive message was sent by SMS” to the population, while “it was at 8:36 p.m. that the intervention of the UME was requested for the entire province” indicated.
At this point, Torres emphasizes that this is “verified chronological data that is in the files”, and then points out that the activation of the EMU – at 8:36 p.m. – happened “when there was already had significant rains and the situation was objectively normal. dramatic”. At 9 p.m., continues the minister, “the crisis committee is formed (…) by the Spanish government”. A committee which ensures that “from then until today, it has met daily “.
The days after
“With the light of Wednesday October 30” come the “desolate images of the catastrophe”. Then he referred to the suspension of the control session at the Congress of Deputies which had already started that day at 9 a.m., despite the information coming from Valencia. “This is where a recess was requested and the session was postponed.” However, Torres did not mention the highly controversial decision to continue voting the decree for the election of RTVE councilors.
In this way, Torres continued his story. “Now with the UME on the ground and under the command of the autonomous community”, he stressed that “the cooperation with the Valencian Community to activate all the necessary means” was continuous, as well as its provision transferred to the region. Then, “a crisis committee is convened again to coordinate the work of the Spanish government in the presence of President Pedro Sánchez.”
Concretely, regarding Sánchez, he emphasized that he attended this meeting “recently disembarked from an official trip to India”, from where he was in “permanent contact” with the president of the Generalitat Valenciana, Carlos Mazón. Already Thursday, October 31, both are in Valencia, where the socialist went to participate “in the Ceccopi meeting with the regional authorities and their technicians (…) within the framework of institutional cooperation”: “As it cannot be otherwise”.
There, Torres assures that the “absolute provision of the necessary means” was transferred by the Central Executive, about which he recalled that “Carlos Mazón emphasized that these collaborations were ‘fundamental and necessary'”, as well as the ‘popular’ thanked “the presence and proximity” of the President of the Executive, whose action he described as “rapid and appropriate”.
That day, Sánchez proposed the presence of two “alternating” ministers in Cecopi. A question that President Mazón accepts as a reminder. ” After emphasizing that “this is the first day of national mourning decreed by the government”, he finalized the chronology which caused so much controversy: “So far are the events that occurred in the first days “, he said. Torres was convicted.
