Parliament Demands Second Questioning of Mazón and Pradas in Valencia Flood Case. Congress calls for Carlos Mazón and Salomé Pradas to return for hearings on the flood case. New messages from the Valencian government’s chat contradict previous official statements.
A new round of scandal has erupted in the Spanish Congress over the investigation into the consequences of the devastating flood in the Valencian Community. Deputies from Compromís and Izquierda Unida have officially demanded that former Generalitat President Carlos Mazón and ex-councillor Salomé Pradas be summoned again to the parliamentary commission. The reason was the publication of messages from the internal WhatsApp chat of the Valencian government, which, according to the opposition, completely contradict previous explanations from the regional leadership about their actions on the day of the disaster.
The content of the correspondence became known after a judge from Catarroja ordered Consell Vice President Susana Camarero to provide this data as part of an interrogation. According to the messages, on the morning of the flood, Mazón gave a single instruction—to 'inform' the media, after which he stopped communicating with government members. At the same time, according to Compromís deputy Alberto Ibáñez, by noon Salomé Pradas had already notified colleagues that the situation was spreading beyond the Magro River and also affecting the Barranco del Pollo, indicating an awareness of the scale of the threat.
These details, Compromís representatives claim, completely contradict Mazón's earlier statements about an alleged "information vacuum" and a lack of data from state agencies. Previously, the former head of the region insisted that decisions were made based on limited information, and that key bodies such as the Júcar Hydrographic Confederation Conference and AEMET had not provided timely warnings. However, the published messages show that warnings about the scale of the disaster were given in advance, and separate orders regarding informing the public and closing schools were issued even before the Consell meeting began.
Minister of Science and PSPV secretary Diana Morant described the Consell's internal correspondence as "brutal" and accused all participants of concealing information. According to her, the chat included key government figures, such as Susana Camarero, Martínez Mus, and José Antonio Rovira, and all were aware of what was happening. Morant demanded that the current president of the Generalitat, Juanfran Pérez Llorca, publicly address the situation, and also called for Mazón's resignation and his expulsion from the Partido Popular.
The emerging details of the investigation are reminiscent of other high-profile cases in the Valencian Community, where issues of transparency and government accountability came to the forefront. Recently, the director of Transparencia resigned after being formally charged in the Azud case — details of this case are available here.
For reference: DANA is a meteorological phenomenon associated with heavy downpours and flooding, which regularly leads to emergencies in Spain. In recent years, the Valencian Community has repeatedly faced such disasters, increasing demands for transparency and effective action from regional authorities. According to Spanish media, the parliamentary commission's investigation is ongoing, and new facts may affect the political fate of a number of high-ranking officials.
