Tension flares at the state funeral for the victims of the DANA storm, and some family members call Mazón a "murderer".

Valencia / BarcelonaThe tension and pain that had accumulated over the past year erupted this Wednesday at the state funeral held to mark the first anniversary of the devastating floods. In a highly charged ceremony at the Príncipe Felipe Museum in Valencia, the head of the Valencian government, Carlos Mazón, was vehemently confronted by the victims' families, who called him a "murderer" and a "traitor" and demanded his resignation. The request made by the victims' families' associations for the PP leader not to attend the ceremony did not bode well. The Valencian president ignored the request, and the tension and grief were already palpable at the start of the tense funeral. "You were with the journalist, you shameless person, while people were drowning," some family members reproached. "You've ruined our lives," others declared, lamenting that Mazón had "laughed at" the Valencian people.

The shouts against Mazón, who stood almost alone during the ceremony and didn't speak to anyone, were repeated at the end of the event. "Mazón, resign," "We won't stop," "Shame," and "Coward" were some of the reproaches the families directed at the Valencian president amidst the silence of the room, as the authorities began to leave.

In contrast to Mazón's isolation, Spanish President Pedro Sánchez and King Felipe VI spoke at length with the victims' families after the ceremony. The Prime Minister had to watch this scene without anyone approaching him. His only consolation was the barrage of insults that Sánchez also received, including the now infamous "greyhound of Paiporta." "Mazón was unnecessary," Amparo Asensi Bou, a resident of Alfafar who lost her 84-year-old mother, Amparo Bou Chisbert, explained to ARA after the ceremony. "If he had apologized and left, everything would have been different, but of course, he's staying to collect his former president's salary," added Mila Solano Algaba, another resident of the town in the l'Horta Sud region who had to say goodbye to her 70-year-old brother, José. "We should have shouted even louder, because he's a psychopath," stated Mari Carmen Venancio, also from Alfafar, who lost her 55-year-old brother, Manuel.

"Whoever omits their duty knowing that their omission may result in the loss of human lives"

Despite the tension, there was no shouting at the ceremony. After the reading of the names of the 237 victims of the DANA storm and the musical performance by La Maria, who performed My wakeAs a song narrating the burial of a young girl played, the speeches by the victims' families began. The first to speak was Andrea Ferrari Canut, who lost her mother, Eva Canut. The young woman thanked the volunteers and victims' associations "for channeling the pain" and demanding "justice." She also acknowledged the arrival of thousands of people from across the country to help repair the material damage in the days following the torrential rains. She concluded her remarks by affirming that for the victims, "the most important thing right now is that truth, respect, and humanity prevail."

Next to speak was Naiara Chuliá Beitia, wife of the deceased Bétera resident, Slim Regaieg, 47. She expressed her gratitude for the help of "family, friends, and all of Tunisia," and shared her grief over the death of this father of two. "I remember you every day, and we raise our children together despite your absence," she explained. She also recounted the loss of her husband. "We mobilized to find you, and we found you. The hardest moment was telling my children you wouldn't come back," she explained. "I can't feel guilty for what happened; no one has the right to judge us for what occurred," she concluded.

During the third and final speeches by the victims, Virginia Ortiz Riquelme, cousin of someone who died in Letur (Albacete), stated that "most" of the relatives "just want to live in peace" and criticized "those who neglect their duty knowing that their omission could result in the loss of life." This was one of the most striking moments of the ceremony, and the attendees erupted in applause.

King Felipe VI calls for continued "analysis of the causes"

For his part, King Felipe VI also emphasized that today is a "day of emotions that are difficult to put into words," because no words "fully express what one feels when having to utter them." "I tried to put myself in their place, to imagine what I could say to them… and there are no perfect words: I only know that there is a feeling of sincere pain that unites me, that unites us, with you—family, friends, and loved ones," he added.

In a brief address, the monarch stated: "It is necessary to continue analyzing the causes and circumstances of the tragedy, in order to rigorously and calmly draw the necessary lessons to improve our capacity to face other major catastrophes in the future and to avoid or minimize their consequences as much as possible. "We all hope that something like this never happens again. Let us all do our part to prevent it from happening again," he urged.

Mazón: "There are things that should have worked better"

The commemoration of the catastrophe began this morning with an official statement in which Carlos Mazón admitted that "there are things that should have worked better." However, he refused to resign or apologize. He merely acknowledged mistakes: "We tried to do our best in unimaginable circumstances, but in many cases it wasn't enough, and today, once again, we must recognize that." The Valencian president added that it is now necessary to "strengthen security and improve prevention" to avoid a tragedy like the torrential rains.

"They've lost their minds"

Mazón's speech has been harshly criticized by the opposition. The Socialist spokesperson in the Valencian Parliament, Jose Muñoz, strongly condemned him: "They've lost their minds," he told X, and criticized "the fact that 160 high-ranking officials of the Generalitat stood up to applaud." Meanwhile, the leader of the PSPV and candidate for the Generalitat, Diana Morant, insisted that Mazón "should not have become president" on the anniversary of the DANA storm and accused the PP president, Alberto Núñez Feijóo, of being an "accessory." The most forceful reaction came from the leader of Compromís, Joan Baldoví, who lashed out against what he considers the "insult" of the speech. In his opinion, it is "infamous." "The only institutional statement from Mazón that the people of Valencia expect is the announcement of his resignation," he declared. He also asserted that "the applause from his government is a mockery" that "demonstrates their lack of humanity."