If there’s a sign that something is wrong, it’s silence. In the case of the Valencian government, the Minister of Justice and Interior, Salomé Pradas, in charge of emergencies, is particularly enlightening. Hers and the one above her. There is no position within the Valencian Executive that defends it in public, and in private the criticism is devastating. She is held responsible for the ineffectiveness of the Integrated Operational Coordination Center (Cecopi), the body she chairs, for not having taken decisions in time, for having separated her team out of mistrust and for not having taken handle a critical situation.
Since Tuesday October 29, when DANA burst into the Valencian regions, the minister has made practically no statement. “She is focused on emergency measures,” comments her team, when asked about her political future. That the head of Emergency cannot continue to carry out her duties is an outcry, but in recent days the leaders of the Valencian PP have begun to show her the exit door.
The President of the Generalitat, Carlos Mazón, with emphasis on the management of DANA, announced this Monday an overhaul of the Consell. After the massive demonstration in which his resignation and that of the entire Executive were demanded, the Valencian leader hinted at a crisis or restructuring from Thursday, when he will appear before the Valencian courts to explain the key times of the emergency. “We are working to adapt the entire structure of the Consell to the reconstruction work,” he said during a visit to the emergency center.
The president refused to talk about dismissals or resignations before the parliamentary meeting, but his executive has already given up on the defense of the emergency minister. Asked about the actions of the Generalitat and the sending of the notices, delayed by more than two hours due to the minister’s doubts and his own absence, he said: “We must assume that errors could have been made, without any doubt, we must do it with all humility.
Shortly after, the vice-president of the Consell and legal spokesperson for post-emergency actions, Susana Camarero, avoided defending Councilor Pradas. When asked if she believed she was qualified to continue running the emergency department, she replied: “All advisors are at the disposal of the president and he will make whatever decision he deems appropriate,” adding that “the appearance of Thursday will be the starting point.” of this political part. [El president] “He is preparing an adaptation of part of the Consell to this reality.”
Executive sources speak of a restructuring of powers to adapt to post-crisis management, which will require a new budget, and take Pradas’ departure for granted. The entry of new senior officials with more technical experience to deal with the reconstruction of the regions is also appreciated. The head of the city council responsible for clearly insufficient management would serve as a shield for the Valencian president to avoid assuming the political responsibilities demanded of him by citizens and the opposition. It would also be a way of reducing the pressure exerted on him by other popular barons and senior leaders of his party. The removal of the Emergency Manager would divert attention from the action of the president himself on the day of the disaster, who lied repeatedly and who, according to the latest version, was maneuvering for control of Valencian public television.
It is Pradas who is responsible for Cecopi, although the law gives Mazón exclusive command in disasters like these, and according to those present at the meeting, his authorization was expected to decree the measures. The same sources emphasize that the advisor constantly consulted the president on the decisions to be made and, at the presidency, they assured that Mazón was periodically informed of the situation, which contradicts the fact that by arriving late to the meeting , the issues discussed had to be explained to him.
The defense of the management was carried out by the vice-president of the Consell and responsible for Housing, who assumed the role of de facto spokesperson for the crisis. Nothing is known about the official spokesperson, Ruth Merino, although the Minister of Finance also has before her the recomposition of the entire regional budget, which was to be presented two days after the disaster, and must now be adapted to the recovery of families. . shops, infrastructure or commercial areas. Camarero explained Monday that she appears in place of the spokesperson because “I am the vice president of the Consell, the secretary [del Ejecutivo]which has the information of all departments and I am part of Cecopi and I have the up-to-date information.
After Pradas, it is likely that his entire team will fall, headed by the regional secretary of Emergencies, Emilio Argüeso. If they don’t all go with him, they will probably be moved. For the moment, he has not commented on his management. His entire team remains silent and communication is centralized by the Presidency, which ignores them in press releases. The rupture is such that it was the head of Emergency himself who published on Beyond the political management of the disaster, it is not surprising that they are counting the hours they have left in the Consell.
