With selective lapses of memory on the part of the president of the Provincial Council of Valencia, Vicent Mompó, and with silence in the case of the former Minister of Emergencies and Interior Salomé Pradas. Once again, the former head of the Consell Carlos Mazón has received the protection of his former subordinates, who avoided revealing any details about the actions of their former leader in his second appearance before the DANA commission of the Congress. A behavior that is especially striking in the case of Pradas, given that she is charged with the crimes of reckless homicide and reckless injury for the management of a catastrophe that already has 233 fatalities. This Monday, a resident of Catarroja was added to the list, who suffered an intracranial hemorrhage when the force of the water that entered her home knocked her down.

I open Ara.cat and the first thing I see are two headlines that, juxtaposed, are even more eloquent than when read separately. “Peinado sends Begoña Gómez to trial for embezzlement and influence peddling”, says the one in the report signed by Núria Orriols Guiu. “Mazón shrugs off responsibility and refuses to give new explanations in Congress regarding the DANA”, says the one in the news story signed by Andrea Zamorano.Beyond dealing with the bituminous Spanish politics, both share the common element of duty fulfilled. Judge Peinado, having become an icon of justice placed at the service of political interests that would not escape the understanding of even a child, retires on Sunday and did not want to do so without having carried out the objective he had set for himself (and, we can also understand it this way, to which he had committed himself): to bring the wife of the Spanish Prime Minister, Pedro Sánchez, to trial for a completely invented case that has had one of the most bizarre and ridiculous journeys in Spanish justice in the last ten years (and that is saying a lot). He has done it just as he wanted: with a popular jury, in order to increase the possibility of a guilty verdict. The family in prison: Begoña Gómez, David Sánchez and, if possible, Pedro Sánchez in person. In his case, for being a traitor to Spain. This is the current wet dream of the Spanish right, a maximum revenge against imaginary grievances. It is the same right that from time to time feels the need to save Spain, even if it means destroying the rule of law or, directly, a few hundred thousand citizens as happened during the Civil War and the dictatorship. And it is, also, the scrupulous realization of Aznar's mandate: whoever can do, let them do. Surely, Peinado will not have a reward because henchmen usually do not get one, beyond a few pats on the back. And the satisfaction of duty fulfilled.Mazón also did his duty, enduring the scandal of the disastrous management of the DANA on October 29, 2024, and the 230 deaths caused by his government's negligence, without resigning, without calling elections, and facilitating an easy transition with his second-in-command, Juanfran Pérez Llorca, so that the management of the thirty billion of the Reconstruction Plan would remain in the hands of the PP and his government. In return, he has been left with an ex-president's salary, a seat in the Valencian Courts where he can go to take a nap if he feels like it, and a full exoneration from the High Court of Justice of the Valencian Country that Mazón flaunted this Monday at his appearance in Congress as if it were a license to kill. And which aborted the investigation by the judge of Catarroja, at least until Mazón loses his parliamentary immunity. The inept and lying man has a reward and protection; the woman who, as far as we know, has done nothing punishable but is married to the wrong political leader, runs the risk of being convicted; the judge who pursues her has the applause of the neo-Francoist horde. The juxtaposition explains well, indeed, the moment of degradation of politics and justice in which we find ourselves.

"Who can expect much from this individual when he should have resigned on October 30, 31, or November 1, 2024?" With these low expectations, the relatives of the DANA victims approached Carlos Mazón's second appearance before Congress, gathered at the doors of the lower house to demand answers from the former president of the Valencian Generalitat. The result was as expected, with a Mazón who once again shrugged off responsibility and refused to provide new explanations, with an impassive demeanor, in the face of questions and attacks from the spokespersons of the parties of the plurinational majority in the investigation commission.

The judge from Catarroja in charge of the criminal case regarding the management of the DANA, Nuria Ruz Tobarra, has raised to 232 the official number of fatalities caused by the Valencia floods of October 29, 2024. The latest recognized victim is a woman residing in the municipality of Guadassuar, in Valencia, who suffered from severe chronic respiratory insufficiency and, following the floods, was left without oxygen when the electricity supply was interrupted.

The defense of the former president of the Generalitat Valenciana, Carlos Mazón, has presented a document this Tuesday to the investigating judge, stating that there is no "causal relationship between the deaths that occurred and the actions or omissions attributed to the investigated parties," referring to the decisions made at Cecopi and the delay in sending the ES-Alert. In other words, Mazón attacks the main hypothesis of Judge Nuria Ruiz Tobarra, which is that a large part of the 231 deaths caused by the flood on October 29, 2024, could have been avoided if the population had been warned in advance.

On August 29 at 7:00 PM, more than 200 civic, social, and trade union entities from the Valencian Country, along with victim associations, the Local Emergency and Reconstruction Committees (CLER), and the Valencian Social Agreement (ASV), have called a rally in the Plaza de la Mare de Déu in Valencia to demand the removal of Carlos Mazón, former president of the Valencian Generalitat.

At 11:37 p.m. on the night of the storm, former Valencian president Carlos Mazón informed the mayoress of Valencia, María José Catalá, that there were already "dozens of dead." This is stated in the WhatsApp messages that the PP leader has provided to the summary of the judicial case being investigated in the Catarroja court, and to which ARA has had access.

The delegate of the Spanish government in the Valencian Community, Pilar Bernabé, stated this Monday that it would have been counterproductive for the State to have declared a national emergency and taken over the management of the emergency on the day of the storm in the Valencian Community against the will of the Generalitat. She said this this Monday in the investigation commission of the Congress of Deputies on the catastrophe.

The former president of the Valencian Generalitat, Carlos Mazón, sent his advisors a message early on the morning of the storm that it was necessary to "flood the media with data" to give the impression of "being alert" and having "control" of the situation, a circumstance that would show that the former head of the Council was aware of the danger of the day. Despite this, he maintained a lunch of almost four hours with the journalist Maribel Vilaplana and did not go to the Cecopi until 8:28 PM, three and a half hours after the start of the emergency committee. This is recorded in the messages exchanged in the WhatsApp group of the Valencian government, which Mazón initiated at 8:15 AM and in which the last to send a message is the head of Infrastructures, Vicente Martínez Mus, who does so at 11:53 PM, regarding the road situation.

The judge of the case has rejected summoning former Valencian president Carlos Mazón as a witness after the Provincial Court of Valencia ruled in favor of the former head of the Consell and accepted his involvement in the case. The court, in a decision supported by the Prosecutor's Office, considered that the now conservative deputy has the right to this protection because the investigation may provide information that could lead to his future indictment. Unlike a witness, who is obliged to tell the truth, if he were summoned in the future as a defendant, he could, for example, lie and not answer all parties, without consequences for himself.

The former Valencian president Carlos Mazón has asked the judge of Catarroja investigating the management of the storm, Nuria Ruiz Tobarra, to appear in the case. He has done so in a document sent to the court after the judge summoned him last week to testify –a summons that does not yet have a date– and the Valencian Superior Court of Justice (TSJPV) rejected the request to investigate him. Why is Mazón making this move now? What would he gain if his request is accepted?

The judge from Catarroja investigating the criminal case on the management of the DANA in Valencia has summoned the former president of the Valencian Generalitat, Carlos Mazón, as a witness. The summons does not yet have a date, according to EFE agency.

The moment has arrived. The judge in Catarroja presiding over the criminal case concerning the devastating floods in the Valencian Community has summoned former regional president Carlos Mazón as a witness. The summons, which has not yet been dated, includes a request for him to voluntarily provide any messages and calls from October 29, 2024, related to the handling of the tragedy.

The High Court of Justice of the Valencian Community (TSJPV) has rejected imputing former Valencian president Carlos Mazón at this time and has asked the Dana judge, Nuria Ruiz Tobarra, to continue investigating.

The High Court of Justice of the Valencian Community (TSJPV) has rejected indicting former Valencian president Carlos Mazón for his handling of the devastating floods. The decision, announced this Monday, aligns with the Public Prosecutor's position, which argued a few days ago that there is no "sufficiently solid evidence or indications" against the former head of the Valencian government. However, it contradicts the opinion of the investigating magistrate, Nuria Ruiz Tobarra, who had requested an investigation into the politician from Alicante for manslaughter, negligent injury, and failure to provide assistance, citing what she described as "negligent inaction." The measure was unanimously agreed upon by the five judges of the civil and criminal chamber. They based their decision on the fact that, during the floods, the PP leader did not hold the position of guarantor of a duty nor did he have specific obligations as required to be investigated for manslaughter by omission. "The President of the Generalitat did not commit an infraction (...) in matters of emergencies because he has no specific duty in this area," the resolution emphasizes. In this regard, it adds that the investigating judge was only able to demonstrate suspicions and not facts with a "solid and objective basis" of conduct that "constitutes a crime."

The Prosecutor's Office of the Superior Court of Justice of the Valencian Community has requested the dismissal of the complaint against the judge investigating the management of the DANA, Nuria Ruiz Tobarra, for the alleged participation in the case of her husband, also a magistrate, Jorge Martínez Ribera. This was reported this Monday by the public prosecutor's office through a statement, in which it explains the reasons why it rejects the lawsuit filed a few weeks ago by the ultra agitator Rubén Gisbert with the aim of removing the magistrate.

The Public Prosecutor's Office does not believe the time has come to formally charge Carlos Mazón. The public prosecutor has opposed the request made a couple of weeks ago by the investigating judge in the case, Nuria Ruiz Tobarra, to the High Court of Justice of the Valencian Community (TSJPV) because it does not yet see "sufficiently solid data or evidence" against the former president of the Generalitat. However, it does not rule out the possibility of such evidence emerging later and maintains that the judge should continue her investigation. Ruiz Tobarra cannot take the step of formally charging him herself because Mazón is a regional deputy and, therefore, enjoys parliamentary immunity. For this reason, she asked the TSJPV, in a reasoned statement, to assume the investigation of the former head of the Valencian government. for manslaughter, negligent injury, and failure to provide assistance given the conclusion that their handling of the disaster was one of "negligent inaction".

The three judges of the Civil and Criminal Chamber of the High Court of Justice (TSJ) of the Valencian Community who will decide whether to investigate former regional president Carlos Mazón—who retains parliamentary immunity as a member of the Valencian Parliament—have been identified. They are Manuel Baeza, president of the chamber and of the Valencian TSJ; Judge María Pía Calderón, who will be the rapporteur; and Judge José Francisco Ceres. On the table is the request from Judge Nuria Ruiz Tobarra of Catarroja, who argues that the politician from Alicante should be charged with manslaughter, negligent injury, and failure to render aid. Before deliberating, however, they must receive the arguments from the Public Prosecutor's Office, the defense, and the plaintiffs, who have until Monday to submit their submissions. Sources close to the case have told El Ara that the three judges are "very conservative" and have emphasized that Baeza and Ceres belong to the right-wing Professional Association of Magistrates. Others, on the contrary, have pointed out that, beyond their ideology, they are "very technically prepared" judges to assume such a crucial role. We now take a brief look at their careers. The most senior is Manuel Baeza, who assumed the position of president of the Valencian High Court in 2025. However, he had already been serving as interim president for some time following the retirement of his predecessor, Pilar de la Oliva. Beside him is José Francisco Ceres Montes, best known for leading a significant portion of the investigation into the Valencian branch of the Gürtel corruption case and, in 2009, for his controversial decision to dismiss the case against Francisco Camps for bribery in the well-known "suits case." This decision was overturned by the Supreme Court, which issued a strong rebuke to Ceres's actions. Conversely, two years later, he reopened the investigation and brought dozens of former Valencian PP officials implicated in the corruption scheme to trial. Ceres and Calderón also served as rapporteurs for several dismissals of complaints against former Socialist president Ximo Puig and Health Minister Ana Barceló regarding the measures adopted during the coronavirus pandemic.

"They're my personal history. If I lose them, I'll lose half my story," Rafael laments. "Getting them back would be healing," Aurelia sighs. "It is. I've already been able to, and I'm so grateful," Amparo confirms, relieved. The conversation takes place in a house in the historic center of Paiporta, the epicenter of the devastating storm that claimed the lives of 230 people in the Valencian Community alone. The table around which the three friends sit is covered with papers and photographs. Some are images recovered from the clutches of the catastrophe; others bear witness to the indelible mark of the floods. Calmly, they review each snapshot one by one. Contemplating them awakens memories and anecdotes. Some bring a smile to their faces, others bring tears to their eyes.

Maite Gómez, former head of press for the former president of the Generalitat Valenciana Carlos Mazón, stated this Friday before the investigating judge, Nuria Ruiz Tobarra, that on the afternoon of the tragedy she was unaware that the former head of the Consell was at the restaurant El Ventorro in Valencia having lunch with communicator Maribel Vilaplana and that the information she conveyed to the media about how the PP leader managed the catastrophe was based on what seemed logical to her and not on what she actually knew. This is what she told the magistrate, according to sources present at her statement, as explained to ARA. The journalist's response annoyed the judge, who replied that she could not believe that she informed the media about the president's whereabouts on such an important day as the tragedy without first confirming it with him.