The analysis of messages exchanged in the WhatsApp chat of the Council members during the fateful day of October 29, 2024, when 230 people lost their lives in a predictable disaster, evokes profound shame. The Government's behavior, described as a "gang," focused on "flooding the media with data" to convey a "sense of being alert" rather than executing concrete actions to protect citizens. The main "instruction" from the head of Government was, in fact, to "flood the media with data" and "calm people down," while the tragedy unfolded.
The verb "to flood" is used not to refer to the certain flooding the government was warned about, but to the "flooding of the media," which seemed to be their sole concern. "Sensation" becomes the keyword: facts do not matter, only appearances. No executive directive for managing the catastrophe appears in the messages, according to Vice President Camarero, who handed the information to the judge a year and eight months after the disaster. Council members shared less information among themselves than any citizen could obtain by paying attention to the media, as noted by journalist Matías Vallés, indicating that President Mazón knew less of what was happening than any neighbor watching television.
Despite the evidence of irresponsibility demonstrated by the messages, the High Court of Justice (TSJ) seems intent on limiting the judicial investigation, suggesting that the best course of action for a government facing a catastrophe is to "do nothing" to avoid legal trouble. This interpretation, while possibly supported by law, contradicts the spirit of the law and public responsibility.
The People's Party (PP) believes the bill for that blunder has already been paid, based on polls indicating they have hit rock bottom and are content with the current situation. The political climate favors them against a PSPV weakened by strategic errors and scandals, including the indictment of former president Zapatero. Diana Morant's position as a candidate is hampered by this context, as well as by the division on the left, which could again benefit the right. The growing influence of the far-right Vox, potentially at the PP's expense, is a mounting concern.
Within the PP's internal affairs, President Mazón and former president Llorca recently discussed the party's restructuring and Mazón's future. Llorca is demanding ratification as party leader, but Feijóo is delaying the decision. Internal problems are accumulating, particularly in candidate selection. The situations of the President of the Provincial Council of Valencia, Mompó, and the Mayor of Alicante, Luis Barcala, are key points. Barcala's management, marked by the scandal of publicly promoted luxury apartments, is particularly delicate, and the City Council is obstructing the judicial investigation.
Barcala's future as a candidate depends on Llorca's ability to present a convincing alternative to Feijóo. Several names are being considered as potential replacements, but the PP's internal struggles seem to take precedence over the needs of the city of Alicante. Meanwhile, Mazón is working to strengthen his position, surrounding his successor with his allies and controlling key levers within the Council and in the candidacies for the Corts.
Returning to the Council's chat, Mazón's concern for the DANA that day contrasts with his intense focus on political planning for the upcoming elections. Llorca, for his part, has managed the departure of the former president's acolytes, keeping them in positions and seats, but faces a complex scenario with multiple internal factions and pressure from Vox. His ability to establish "red lines" will be crucial to avoid inheriting a "Palace with more mortgages than windows."
