Carlos Mazón is cornered. YeahHis management as president of the Generalitat was already in the spotlight for the response he gave to the DANA that whipped At Community ValencianSince last October 29 – and this has left more than 220 dead so far–the list of contradictions and lies that has brandi in recent days on his absence at the key times of the drama They put him on the tightrope. In fact, as LaSexta learned, some voices in the PP are already talking about resignation, even if it will never be immediate.
No one in the PP is talking about the delay of the Generalitat in alerting Valencians of the risk of DANA. No one in the PP is referring to the lack of early warning which, according to experts, would have saved many lives. They emphasize that Mazón “dedicated himself” to the tasks following the tragedy, but remain silent about the president’s absence at key times. But the reality is that privately, many “popular” people consulted by laSexta do not believe they can save Mazón. Furthermore, in private they are talking about a resignation, even if it is not immediate. Some think that if he leaves, it is possible that he will have another political life.
The number of inconsistencies regarding his abandonment of duties during key DANA hours are unacceptable. First of all,he president of the Generalitat He assured that at 5:00 p.m. hours of this October 29 I was already at the meeting hint ofIntegrated operational coordination center (CECOPI) to contact DANA (even if there was an alert red of 09.41 hours and that at 12:20 CECOPI itself had reported a hydrological alert). dyou were laterAfter many comings and goings, we know that arrived two hours late saywhere to find because he had lunch with the journalist Maribel Vilaplana to offer her the direction of the Valencian television channel À Punt. One problem, the election of positions on public television, which his party strongly criticized the PSOE for not having suspended the plenary session during which the renewal of RTVE was voted on, the day after the floods.
The chronology of his apologies harms his credibility: the Generalitat itself has confirmed At maintweet has THESexyourthatAndI presidestnsent to the DANA meeting to the Minister of Justice and IntegrationBefore, SalomeAnd pradace; to the general manager and “other emergency managers”. According to the same sources, Mazón arrived at CECOPI when he was informed that the Júcar Hydrographic Confederation (CHJ) had warned that the flow in the Rambla de Poyo exceeded 1,700 cubic meters per second and after learning that there was a risk of rupture the prthis dAnd Forumsyour.
This communication took place at 6:45 p.m. and it was only then that the regional manager went to the emergency center in L’Éliane. Regional sources first assured that during all this time, he was managing “the file” from the Palace of the Generalitat. The first version had its hours numbered and it was later explained that He was attending a “private meal” and later said it was a “working lunch” or “snack.”
Regardless, and as a source from the Generalitat informed elDiario.es, Mazón was held incommunicado during these hours and did not respond to calls. Indeed, the Minister of Justice and the Interior, Salomé Pradas, She was very overwhelmed and blocked entering and leaving the room and “I didn’t know what to do.” Finally, when Mazón arrived (late) to this meeting, “we had to explain to him the topics discussed.”
This is the latest of many known contradictions on this issue. The truth is that since The deadliest cold drop in Spain’s democratic history devastating everything in its path, leaving hundreds of residents homeless, jobless and, in many cases, mourning the loss of a loved one, Mazón and his government did not let anything go.
Mazón against the UME
Even though it’s been days since AEMET spoke about the red notice in the region,alert that the Generalitat Valencia published the Tuesday, On October 29, around 8:15 p.m.,He arrived late, when many municipalities were already flooded and people were stuck. They had no way of escaping this disaster. A few hours later, Feijoo and the opposition did not hesitate to point this out Sanchez. This is not the case for Mazón: AndTHURSDAY,distanced himself from Feijóo’s criticism. In a common institutional declarationMazon thanked has Yesnchez its presence and speed of action, and informed of that Sánchez had participated in follow-up meetings on DANA. Anyway, The reproaches were quick to arrive.
It seems everything changed on Friday of the same week Defense Minister Margarita Robles criticized in laSexta that Mazón took time to realize that the Army “was essential”, and indicated that “dFrom the first moment I wasn waiting to be called”. That weekend, Mazon announced the creation of “five immediate response groups to the crisis in the DANA“, for which he asked the government to incorporate up to seven ministersand the violent events of Paiporta were recorded during which the president of the Generalitat, the President of the Government and the kings.
Monday already, Mazon he changed the scenario and started attacking the government for his management at DANA. And so begins this series of strange contradictions and seemingly improvised versions.. The first “victim”, the EMU: Mazón criticized the army for not going earlier to the municipalities affected by DANA: “Once the UME is activated, the highest command, based on what it sees there, must have the ability to call Torrejón and say, “I need more.” » » A few hours laterthe same lieutenant general and head of the UME, Javier Marcos, denied it and targeted the leadership of Mazón.
“Who decides where we go and where we don’t is the Autonomous Community” underlines Marcos, whoEU hasOf course that“AndOn Tuesday, the EMU was already monitoring the situation». And he added: “When I saw what could happen, I ordered the 500 soldiers to go to their positions to enter. my soldiers Yesand displaced in difficult conditions. When the Generalitat gave the green light, In a few minutes we were working.”. SO,insisted: “I can have a thousand men at the door, but if they don’t let me in, I won’t go in.”
Mazón also blamed the CHJ
The EMU was as much promoted by Mazón as it was THE Hydrographic Confederation of Júcar (CHJ)the body responsible for measuring and communicating to the competent authorities information and changes in flows in the area. He president of the Government The Valencian accused the institution late reporting on DANA. According to Mazón, it was not until 6:43 p.m. that the Generalitat received an email informing it of the drastic increase in flow in the Poyo ravine, at which point the flow would have increased from 80 to 90 cubic meters per second ( m3/s). ), at an alarming flow rate of 1,700 m3/s.
“We did not have the information from the Governmental Confederation. We did not have it,” Mazón said, saying that the Generalitat could not send mobile alerts to citizens before 8:11 p.m., when many citizens were already in danger.
However, the Hydrographic Confederation of Júcar, which depends on the central government, has assured that the flow data is public and available in real time, updated every five minutes. Although some sensors were damaged by DANAdeclared a spokesperson for the CHJ laSexta that in a few minutes they were able to transmit the historical data to the channel, contradicting Mazón’s version about the lack of information. As things stand, the reality is that The alert took another 88 minutes to arrive taking into account the horto the aforementioned email.
Indeed, this Friday, the third vice-president and minister of ecological transition and demographic challenge, Teresa Ribera, assured that the afternoon of DANA It took him “up to four calls” to locate the president of the Generalitat Valenciana. For his part, Mazón assured that this message – which he attached in a screenshot in X – was sent at 8:20 p.m. “after sending the alert and without coverage to CECOPI”.
Sources from the Ministry of Transition indicated laSexta that Ribera tried contact with the president from 7:35 p.m.. At first he called him via Teresa’s secretarythen he called him via the telegraph office of Moncloa. Even andRibera’s chief of staff calledeither to Mazón’s chief of staff. But with no response, they say, Ribera decided to send him a message. It is then a question of THE 8:20 p.m., when a person who is with Teresa receives someone who This with Mazón, I physically passed the phone toI president and I can talk to him.
The contradictions of the Minister of Justice
Beyond Mazón, his Minister of Justice and responsible fore Emergencies Also He had many inconsistencies in his speeches. ANDste THURSDAY, Salome Pradasdeclared that I didn’t know at 20.00 hours of October 29 that massive alerts could be sent to cell phones, minutes before they are sent (8:12 p.m.) to all telephone numbers in the province of Valencia by DANA. She justified herself by saying that the system has not been implemented, but the truth is that it was activated under the Ximo Puig government in 2023.
Furthermore, an audio published by ‘Cadena SER’ reveals that SalomAnd Pradas was aware of the seriousness of DANA at 7:15 p.m. hours last Tuesday afternoon; i.e. one hour before the alerts are sent (between 8:08 p.m. and 8:12 p.m.).).Furthermoreyes, this same Thursday too it appeared that the government delegate in the Valencian Community, Pilar Bernabé, even called four times to the Valencian Minister of Justiceoffer means against the risk of DANA. In three of these four calls, the delegate received no request, according to the ‘SER’ chain.
