Mazón, in the hands of Maribel Vilaplana

Given the anomaly of Carlos Mazón remaining president of the Valencian Community a year after the devastating floods, and especially after the public humiliation he suffered at last week's memorial service for the victims, this Monday could bring another disastrous day. The testimony before the judge in Catarroja by journalist Maribel Vilaplana, who shared lunch and a four-hour conversation with the president while dozens of Valencians were being swept away by the floodwaters, is shaping up to be key to his political future. Vilaplana is the person best positioned to explain the president's behavior during the critical hours of the flood, who can report what calls he answered and what his level of concern was, or rather, his lack of concern. Unlike the officials charged by the judge—Regional Minister Salomé Pradas and her deputy, Emilio Argüeso—Vilaplana is obligated to tell the truth, as Mazón owes her no political loyalty. On the contrary, it can be said that the Valencian president has forever tarnished his image and jeopardized his professional career. Vilaplana, therefore, could be the weak link through which Mazón's indictment begins to take shape. While not imminent, the groundwork could be laid this Monday. It's important to note that Judge Nuria Ruiz Tobarra has thus far avoided directly investigating Mazón because she wanted to gather much more information before taking action, and that it was the Provincial Court that expedited the process at the request of the prosecution. However, the amount of evidence accumulating against Mazón is already becoming overwhelming. Pradas herself clarified on Friday that she had indeed informed the president promptly that the possibility of sending an alert to mobile phones was being discussed, contrary to what he has stated in several interviews. If Vilaplana states that he remembers hearing something about an alert, or that Mazón himself made a comment about it, it would mean the end of Mazón's escape.

Let's remember that the purpose of the investigation is to clarify the reason for the delay in sending the alert. And if it is proven that, whether through action or omission, Mazón's indolent attitude that day was one of the factors that caused the delay, he could face criminal charges, in addition to the political ones he has not yet personally assumed. It seems that neither Mazón nor the PP had calculated the impact that the first anniversary of the catastrophe would have, and in recent days it has become a real ordeal for the Valencian president. If he had an ounce of dignity, he would have resigned long ago. Now he faces a hellish situation, and with each passing day, another nail is driven into his political coffin. This Monday it's Vilaplana's turn. But many more will follow. And there is no possibility whatsoever that this story will end even remotely well for him.