From sports reporter to right-hand man and roommate of Carlos Mazón

ValenciaA roommate when they were both in Valencia and right-hand man of former regional minister Carlos Mazón, journalist José Manuel Cuenca has been in the news this week because the judge investigating the DANA storm has authorized a comparison between him and former regional minister Salomé Pradas to try to clarify the contradictions between the former chief of staff's statement and the messages revealed by the former head of Emergency Services.

Born in the Valencian town of Ibi, near the city of Alcoy and in the industrial heart of the area known as Vall del Joguet, the broadcaster comes from a rather progressive family. After his early adulthood and with a journalism degree in hand, Cuenca began his career as a sports commentator. From the pitch of the stadiums, he rose to become director of stations for the Cadena Cope network. He managed the stations in Dénia, Alicante, Murcia, and Cuenca between 1999 and 2018. His departure from the bishops' radio station was controversial, as he was accused of... of a possible collection of illegal advertising commissions as revealed elDiario.esA crime that the court dismissed, declaring his dismissal unfair.

Temporarily putting journalism on hold and leveraging his contacts, Cuenca went to work for the cleaning and services company STV Gestión, which holds public contracts. It was in this environment that he forged a friendship with Carlos Mazón, who, before becoming head of the Valencian Government, presided over the Alicante Provincial Council. As a result of this past, it was particularly controversial that STV Gestión was awarded an emergency contract by the Valencian Government for cleaning industrial parks after the devastating storm. The contract's budget was €290,000, but it ballooned to €2.3 million after a workload "far exceeding the budget" was detected.

Just like his role in managing the disaster, Cuenca's role as Mazón's chief of staff has also been criticized. He has been accused by some media outlets of pressuring journalists and threatening editors with withdrawing government advertising. He has always denied these allegations, most recently during his appearance before the Congress of Deputies.