The president of the Generalitat, Carlos Mazoncriticized the Executive for Pedro Sanchez an “inexplicable inaction” of three critical hours during the emergency. According to Mazón, the Ministry of Ecological Transition would have been aware of the risk of the dam breaking since 5:30 p.m., but did not activate any protocol or alert the population before 8:00 p.m., when the Secretary of State for the Environment, Hugo Morancontacted the Minister of the Interior, Salomé Pradas.
A new front of confrontation has opened between the Generalitat Valenciana and the central government regarding the management of the crisis caused by the risk of rupture of the Forata dam during the DANA last October, which endangered the lives of 80,000 people.
“It is extremely serious that the central government, having information about an imminent risk that threatened tens of thousands of citizens, remained silent for three crucial hours,” denounced Mazón in X. The Valencian president also denied the justification official according to which his presence was expected at the Integrated Operational Coordination Center (CECOPI), recalling that “the president of the Generalitat is not part of this body and that his presence is not necessary to make executive decisions”.
The new argument from the Ministry of Ecological Transition is worrying. It is said that CECOPI, whose steering committee includes the Spanish government, which had the full capacity to take command at any time, already knew as early as 5:30 p.m. that it risked breaking up…
– Carlos Mazón (@carlos_mazon_) November 16, 2024
The controversy deepens when it is confirmed that the central government was represented in CECOPI and, therefore, had the full capacity to take control of the situation at any time. “If they had critical information about the risk of the dam collapsing, they had an obligation to act immediately. They did not do it and this requires urgent explanations,” Mazón stressed.
The president asked Teresa Ribera’s Ministry of Ecological Transition to clarify the reasons for this delay in risk communication and requested an exhaustive investigation into the chain of decisions during these critical hours. The seriousness of the events lies in the fact that the delay in activating emergency protocols could endanger the lives of thousands of citizens in the towns located downstream of the dam.
This confrontation adds to the already existing controversy over coordination between administrations during the DANA which hit the Valencian Community and threatens to further strain relations between regional and central governments at a crucial moment for aid management and reconstruction of affected areas.
The opposition of the Valencian Cortes has already announced that it will request the appearance of emergency officials to explain the exact chronology of events and the reasons for the apparent delay in activating security protocols.
