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Valencia president Carlos Mazón resigns over DANA storm disaster
The regional leader admitted he “can't take it anymore” after year of criticism over his handling of floods that killed 229 people
Carlos Mazón, the president of the Valencian Generalitat, announced his resignation early Monday morning, November 3, in a statement at the Palau de la Generalitat, bringing an end to a year of mounting pressure over his handling of the devastating DANA storm that ravaged half of the province of Valencia on October 29, 2024, leaving 229 dead.The announcement came after a weekend of frantic negotiations between the Valencian PP and the Spanish government in Madrid, and followed several conversations with the president of his party, Alberto Núñez Feijóo.
In his statement, where he did not take questions, Mazón admitted that the strain had taken a severe toll on him personally and his family.
"I can't take it anymore," he said, adding that "by personal will I would have resigned a long time ago. There have been unbearable moments for me but above all for my family."
Mazón acknowledged several critical mistakes in his handling of the disaster. Among these errors, he highlighted not providing timely explanations to the public, not requesting a national emergency declaration and "above all," not cancelling his schedule on that fateful day in October, when he was having lunch at a restaurant with a journalist while the town of Utiel was already flooded. He did not arrive at the Integrated Operational Coordination Centre until 8.28pm that night.
Speaking about this long list of mistakes, he said: "I acknowledge them and I will live with them for the rest of my life."
During his appearance, with all the regional ministers in the front row and his trusted team present, the president began by thanking the King and Queen for "their support and strength" for the Valencian Community.
He described what happened on October 29 as an "unimaginable tsunami" and insisted that the regional government had done "everything humanly possible" during the past year to accelerate the recovery.
However, while admitting his mistakes, Mazón also tried to defend his actions and shift some blame to the central government. He pointed out that at noon, the Poyo ravine was still "dry" and the storm was "going towards Cuenca." However, he conceded that "it is also true that the storm was centred in Utiel and I should have had the political foresight to cancel my appointments."
The outgoing president was particularly critical of the Spanish government's response to the disaster. He claimed that “their lack of assistance in the first few hours was glaring and remains just as glaring today. We wanted help, we asked for it, and we never received it."
Alongside his resignation, an investigation is ongoing into claims that official alerts were late, confusing and failed to urge people to move to higher ground. So far, two officials, former regional Interior Minister Salomé Pradas and her deputy Emilio Argüeso, face charges of reckless homicide and injury.
However, many people in Spain are angry that Mazón himself is not facing charges and that he continued to hold office despite intense public pressure.That pressure has been building throughout the year, culminating in large protest marches last week where chants of "Mazón resign," "They are not dead, they were murdered" and "Neither forget nor forgive" erupted from crowds.
These protests reflected the widely held view that Mazón is personally responsible, along with others of his administration, for many of the deaths in the flooding, which critics claim could have been prevented with more timely alerts.
Mazón will continue to hold his position until the publication of a new president in the Official State Gazette (BOE) and plans to take a few days off after the plenary session this Tuesday, which he will preside over. He plans to visit a medical professional later.
As a farewell, he said that it has been "an honour" to serve the Valencian Community as president of the Generalitat and thanked "everyone who has helped me make it a reality."
Image 1: danr13
Image 2: Círculo Podemos México
