The victims of the Dana do not deserve the shame of Mazón

Just days before the first anniversary of the flood that caused 229 deaths and extensive property damage in the Valencian Community, Carlos Mazón's continued presence as president of the Generalitat (Catalan regional government) represents an open wound that prevents the victims from moving on and taints all of Valencian political and social life. A year later, it has been proven that Mazón lied on numerous occasions, and the investigation by the Catarroja judge, Nuria Ruiz Tobarra, has been dismantling, one by one, all the versions given by both him and his subordinates.

Mazón lied both about the lunch he had with journalist Maribel Vilaplana, which was initially described as "a work meeting near the Palau," and about the time he arrived at the Cecopio (Cecopio), "after 7 p.m.," which later turned out to be 8:31 p.m. But the worst part is that throughout the entire day, the worst day in recent history in the Valencian Country, they ignored weather warnings, went on the offensive at midday when towns were already flooded, and didn't get going until 7:30, when dozens had already died and the flood had devastated an entire region. Their negligence, combined with the complete inability of the Emergency Management team to make the decision to send an alert that could have saved most lives, unleashed the tragedy.

Mazón is a president discredited by the polls (80% of Valencians believe he should resign) and who survives thanks to the lifeline provided by Vox. His continuity is a failure for the PP and, especially, for its state leader, Alberto Núñez Feijóo, who is also incapable of making drastic decisions on such a crucial issue.

A year later, the Valencians have a president who boasts of not having made any decision on October 29, 2024, the day that a position such as that of president of the Generalitat is justified, and who has refused on up to three occasions to voluntarily appear before the judges. His legal strategy, based on disassociating himself from everything that happened that day, could only be understood if he had already resigned from his position because it is politically dramatic. Because the message Mazón sends to the people of Valencia every time he insists on this version is that if a situation like that ever happens again, they shouldn't count on him.

Now, it would be a mistake to place all the blame on Carlos Mazón as a person. Mazón is the result of the political culture of a party, the Valencian PP, and specifically its Alicante faction, which has historically been linked to the tourism sector and has disdained Valencian self-government. For Mazón and his supporters, the Generalitat is a platform for personal advancement, not an institution that should ensure the safety of the people of Valencia, as became evident a year ago.