The Galician community, which these days was experiencing unusually mild weather for the current time of year, demonstrated throughout Wednesday its solidarity and support for the regions of the country affected by DANA, after a frenzied night that left dozens of missing and dead. Early in the morning, the president, Alfonso Rueda, had already assured that Galicia was at the “entire disposal” of affected communities and that a helicopter would be sent to collaborate in the rescue operations and, as the hours passed, all Galician institutions united in a collective demonstration of gratitude in the face of an environmental disaster whose scale surprised everyone.
“Both told me that they are very worried and very attentive to any development,” Alfonso Rueda told the media on Wednesday morning, referring to his counterparts in the Valencian Community and Castile-La Mancha, the popular Carlos Mazón and the socialist Emiliano. García-Page, with whom he was in contact all night to “offer whatever help” they needed. And precisely in response to the request for air assets, he confirmed that the Community sent one of the two rescue helicopters that depend on the Xunta, with the capacity to rescue ten people simultaneously and personnel on board, as reported by Ep. Galicia is at your complete disposal,” the president said in a message on his social networks.
The main political forces of the Community also joined in the demonstrations of affection. This was the case of the national spokesperson of the BNG, Ana Pontón, who canceled a press conference to address those affected in an institutional statement. Thus, he transferred all the “affection” of his training to the victims of this meteorological phenomenon which, according to him, left “catastrophic figures”: “Our hearts shrink faced with the images and data that we receive on the dimension of this disaster, particularly in terms of human lives and missing people”, he lamented, before devoting a few words of recognition to the “essential” work that they are carrying out. emergency services, “risking their lives to save others”.
In the same sense, the statements of the general secretary of the PSdeG, José Ramón Gómez Besteiro, who assured that the Galician socialists were “absolutely moved and shocked” by this “environmental tragedy”, will convey to the victims and the missing all the “support and solidarity” of his party. The PPdeG Parliamentary Group also showed its solidarity in the face of the “dramatic situation”, also providing its full support to the emergency services for their work.
The minutes of silence were also extended to the entire Galician geography and to all institutions, from the Xunta and its territorial delegations to the councils, including the provincial councils and the Parliament. Thus, one of the images that Wednesday left in the Community was that of minute of silence at the Pazo do Hórreo, which brought together representatives of all groups, of the Galician Government and of the Chamber, at the entrance of the building, to express together their regrets over the tragedy. There was also an attempt to suspend the Orzamentos Commission planned as a sign of support for the Valencian people, as was the case in some sessions of the Senate and Congress. It was the nationalist deputy Mercedes Queixas who presented the request, which was ultimately rejected due to lack of agreement, so the activity was not suspended.
In addition, several Galician town halls joined the minute of silence requested by the Spanish Federation of Municipalities. This is the case, among others, of A Coruña, Ferrol, Lugo, Orense, Santiago, Vigo, Monforte or Pontevedra. Alfonso Rueda, who was in the city for a previously scheduled event, attended the latter.
Furthermore, as reported by Galician Federation of Municipalities and Provinces (Fegamp) in a statement released to the media, its president, Alberto Varela, sent letters to the president of the Valencian Federation of Municipalities and Provinces and mayor of Requena, Rocío Cortés Grao, as well as to the president of the Federation of Municipalities and provinces. of Castilla La Mancha and the Mayor of Talavera de la Reina, José Julián Gregorio López, to express their solidarity and support on behalf of the Galician local administrations, guaranteeing that the Municipality of the Community will be ready to help them with everything they need need.
