An investigation is ongoing in Valencia into the circumstances surrounding the tragic flood that shook the region. A judge from Catarroja has decided to delve deeper into the details of a controversial audio file published by the president of the autonomous community, Carlos Mazón, on his X social media account. The audio sparked a storm of debate and raised new questions for the authorities.
The court has reached out to colleagues in Llíria, requesting materials related to the investigation of this recording. This move follows an initiative by the Fetap-CGT union, which is acting as a plaintiff in the case. At the center of attention is a recording of a conversation between a meteorological service employee and an emergency services 112 operator, made at the height of the natural disaster.
The publication of the audio file in February this year triggered a wave of criticism against Pedro Sánchez’s government. Regional authorities used this material to explain why they were unable to respond more quickly to the looming threat. According to their version, the warning about the scale of the disaster came too late, and responsibility for this was placed on meteorologists and hydrologists reporting to the Ministry for the Ecological Transition.
The case involves former high-ranking officials, including ex-head of the regional government Salome Pradas and her deputy Emilio Argüeso. Both insist they acted based on the information available to them and cite the very same audio recording in their defense.
The judge also demanded that the Department of Equality and Social Policy provide reports on the death of a person in a nursing home in Paiporta during the flood. Additionally, the crisis coordination agency was instructed to name the employees who requested meteorologists to adjust the forecast for specific areas.
During the proceedings, it was revealed that it was Pradas who ordered an emergency message to be sent to residents through the Es Alert system to warn them about the scale of the disaster. However, she stated that the text of the message was prepared by technical specialists, not by herself.
