The never-before-seen video of Carlos Mazón's arrival at Cecopio

ValenciaJudge Nuria Ruiz Tobarra, who is presiding over the DANA case, continues to add evidence to an investigation that has been crucial in forcing the resignation of former Valencian president Carlos Mazón. Specifically regarding the actions of the former head of the Valencian government, the judge added to the case on Tuesday the video of the PP leader's entry into the Emergency Coordination Center building in l'Eliana on October 29th. The recording shows the politician from Alicante arriving with his head of communications, Maite Gómez, advisor Josep Lanuza, and two bodyguards. The evidence added today is a key recording for the investigation, as demonstrated by the fact that in February the Valencian government released a screenshot of the video to explain that Mazón's arrival occurred at 8:28 p.m., that is, 17 minutes after the ES-Alert was sent. With this information, the Presidency's department was trying to distance Mazón from the central element of the magistrate's investigation, namely the late (8:11 p.m.) and erroneous alert issued to the public.

Unlike the security footage from the Palau de la Generalitat, which was deleted a month later, the Cecopi footage was saved thanks to the actions of Alonso Fernández, head of Security and Infrastructure at the Emergency Coordination Center. As he himself testified to Judge Ruiz Tobarra this Tuesday, and as explained to ARA by sources present during his testimony, the public employee preserved the recording on his own initiative and with the approval of the Deputy Director General of Emergencies, Jorge Suárez, who will testify before the judge this Thursday. The judge's request for the video came as a result of the questions raised by the testimony of journalist Maribel Vilaplana. The journalist's account leaves open the question of whether, after lunch at El Ventorro and accompanying her to the parking lot—according to both of their accounts—Mazón stopped anywhere before going to the Palau de la Generalitat (the distance between the parking lot and the Valencian government headquarters can be covered on foot in 10 to 15 minutes); he arrived at 8:28 p.m. To try to clarify these doubts, the judge summoned his bodyguards and driver as witnesses and requested the recordings from the Generalitat showing the former head of the Consell's arrival at the Emergency Center, including the exact time. The judge argues that this procedure is "relevant" to analyze the "decision-making process" of the former Minister of Justice and the Interior, Salomé Pradas, on the day of the tragedy. In this regard, it is emphasized that the figure of the President of the Generalitat has the "directive and coordinating" functions for all members of the executive, as indicated by the Provincial Court of Valencia on October 16, functions that "cannot be limited to those that could be exercised in person, but must also extend to those exercised by telephone."

The judge offers Pradas the opportunity to provide the messages exchanged with Mazón

With the same objective, on Tuesday the judge asked former Minister of Justice and the Interior Salomé Pradas to state whether she wishes to voluntarily provide the WhatsApp messages "related to the DANA storm and the events under investigation." These would include the messages she exchanged with Carlos Mazón, which Pradas partially revealed in an interview last Sunday on the program. SavedThe magistrate also asked the chief of staff of the former Valencian president, José Manuel Cuenca, to provide his phone bill to verify the lists provided by Pradas and the former regional secretary of Emergencies, Emilio Argüeso.

The death toll rises to 230

As the investigation progresses, new details about the victims have also emerged, bringing the total to 230. This decision was made by the investigating judge, who added to the case the death of a 74-year-old resident of Catarroja who succumbed to a pulmonary thromboembolism on November 3rd of last year. The judge believes there is a causal link between this death and the floods that devastated the municipality in the L'Horta Sud region. The man, who lived on the ground floor, was left soaked all night as a result of water entering his home and was unable to "take shelter or go elsewhere," the magistrate explained. The "immediate exposure to cold water, a limitation of his mobility, and physical stress" led to this man, "who suffered from pre-existing conditions, suffering a pulmonary thromboembolism" which, "as the forensic report states, ultimately resulted in his death," she added.