Nearly a year has passed since the devastating flood that claimed the lives of 229 people in the Valencian Community. Yet, questions persist for the president of the autonomous region, Carlos Mazón, regarding his whereabouts on that tragic day. Despite numerous attempts to clarify the situation, the sequence of events still raises doubts, and new revelations continue to fuel public interest.
Confusion over the schedule and a concealed lunch
According to the official schedule, Mazón’s workday ended shortly after one o’clock. Later, his team claimed that he was already at the government building from 5 p.m., monitoring the emergency meeting. However, it came to light that at that time he was still at El Ventorro restaurant, having lunch with journalist Maribel Vilaplana. The meeting lasted nearly four hours, and only afterwards did the president accompany her to the parking lot. This episode went unmentioned in all his previous explanations.
When the public began demanding answers, Mazón’s representatives insisted that the meeting was private and unrelated to his official duties. The president himself avoided naming his companion or specifying how long the lunch lasted. Later, it emerged that the conversation touched on the possibility of Vilaplana being appointed to a senior position at the regional TV channel, casting doubt on the ‘private’ nature of their meeting.
Timeline inconsistencies and new admissions
For several months, there were conflicting reports about when exactly the lunch ended. Initially, it was claimed the meeting wrapped up before six in the evening, then it was said to be closer to half past six. However, none of these versions matched the official statements about Mazón’s presence at the emergency meeting in the government. Moreover, it turned out that he arrived at the emergency coordination center only after eight o’clock, when most of the affected areas were already flooded.
At one point, the president’s team tried to justify the delay by blaming traffic jams caused by the bad weather. But CCTV footage showed him arriving much later than the reported time. This sparked a new wave of criticism and suspicion that the real circumstances were being covered up.
Recent revelations and pressure on witnesses
It recently emerged that after lunch, Mazón didn’t go straight to the government building, but instead walked Villaplana to her car in the parking lot next to the restaurant. This detail was absent from all previous accounts of the events. The journalist, who is due to testify in court, had earlier asked for her name not to be mentioned when she realized the scale of the tragedy. Now she will have to confirm the details of the meeting officially, under oath.
The question of why the president of the autonomous community was absent from his post at a critical moment remains unanswered. The public and the opposition are demanding transparency and explanations, as the timely decisions of leadership affected hundreds of lives. The story of Mazón’s disappearance at the height of the disaster has become one of the region’s most talked-about topics and has cast doubt on trust in the authorities.
