The president of the Generalitat Valenciana, Carlos Mazondenied that during the communication he had with the President of the Government, Pedro Sanchez, On the night of Tuesday October 29, he told her that the situation at DANA was under control and assured that what he had told her was that they had to “coordinate as much as possible” to manage the possible consequences of the catastrophe.
As ABC published last Friday, coordination between the central executive and the regional government proceeded with a certain normality during the early stages of the tragedy. Sánchez was informed by his cabinet of the seriousness of the situation and, as he returned from India, he sent them a Whatsapp around 11:00 p.m. Mazón and the rest of the regional leaders affected by the storm.
Asked this Tuesday about this conversation after the Cecopi meeting, Mazón confirmed having received a message from the president during the DANA evening. Asked about some published information about the content of this conversation, the head of the Consell denied having suggested that the situation was under control and added, twice, that what he had conveyed was that “should be coordinated as much as possible“.
As this newspaper reports, the first vice president, María Jesús Montero, had previously called Mazón to inform him that she was “aware” of the situation and that she was at his disposal. “President, calm down, whatever it takes. “We are doing everything that needs to be done,” they say, these are the terms of the communication from the Generalitat.
In this conversation, according to the same sources, the regional president asked Montero to deploy the Civil Guard and the army, to which the vice president responded that he had to count on her and remain calm, while she was accompanied by the Ministers of the Interior and the Army. Defense, Fernando Grande-Marlaska and Margarita Robles.
The delegate of the Government of the Valencian Community was also questioned on this issue, Pilar Bernabéwho refused to make any statement: “I’m not going to make any assessments or statements about what happened because it will be done where it needs to be and where it fits.”
Mazón and CECOPI
At the same time, the vice-president of the Consell and Minister of Social Services, Equality and Housing, Susana Camarero, maintained that Mazón is “in no case” part of the Integrated Center for Operational Coordination (CECOPI) and clarified that “you do not need to wait to make a decision” in this instance, which “works with or without your presence because it is not necessary”. However, he indicated that he was going there “because of the importance of the situation” generated by DANA.
In this sense, he denied that during the meeting of this body on the afternoon of October 29 – DANA day – the head of the Consell was “waiting” to make decisions. “I don’t think anyone expected and what’s more, we didn’t have to wait for him to make a decision,” he stressed.
Likewise, he emphasized that the decisions of CECOPI “are taken by the bodies that make up CECOPI”, which is why he stressed that the President of the Generalitat “does not need to wait to make a decision” . “We should not expect it,” he insisted during a press conference this Tuesday to report on the actions carried out in the areas affected by DANA.
Asked expressly if Mazón is part of CECOPI, Susana Camarero assured that she had “been clear” that in “no case” and indicated that the command of this organization is structured in the protocol that governs it. Furthermore, he pointed out that other institutions such as the Hydrographic Confederation of Júcar (CHJ).
Camarero highlighted that during these weeks the head of the Consell attended the CECOPI meetings to “the importance of the situation“. “We have been there and all the people we were able to help in this emergency phase and in this moment of reconstruction of the situation have been incorporated,” said the vice-president.
“There are only two days left to have the opportunity to hear the appearance which will detail everything that happened on the 29th, every hour, every message, every callevery information received and, therefore, how we acted from there,” explained the Valencian leader.
What happened on October 29
In this regard, regarding Thursday’s appearance in the Valencian Parliament, Camarero recognized the importance of “telling what happened on the 29th” but also to report on “how the structure of the Consell will be remodeled” to face the “new reality” after DANA.
“We had an administrative structure for normality and now we must add one for this new situation, for reconstruction, in which we find ourselves. We talk about the how, not the who“, explained the vice-president.
Camarero reiterated that all advisors are “at the disposal of the president,” who is the person who “must make the decisions that must be made regarding the people, but also the times.” “It is he who will announce what the new structure looks like and what decisions it will adopt.“, he settled.
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