Advisor Mazon’s Correspondence with Utiel Mayor Revealed in Flood Tragedy Case. Messages between Advisor Mazon and the Mayor of Utiel have surfaced in the investigation into the flood that claimed six lives in Utiel. The documents have been submitted to the court. Authorities are explaining their actions and response to the emergency.
In the investigation into the tragedy in Utiel (Valencia), where six people died in a severe flood in 2024, the court has received new evidence shedding light on the actions of regional authorities and their communication with local officials. A key element was a WhatsApp message from the former chief of staff to the president of the Valencian Community, Carlos Mazón — José Manuel Cuenca — addressed to the mayor of Utiel, Ricardo Gabaldón (PP). In it, Cuenca assured that if help was needed, he was ready to get personally involved.
As reported by EL PAÍS, this message became part of an official document handed by Gabaldón to Judge Nuria Ruiz Tobarra of Catarroja, who is leading the investigation into the circumstances of the disaster. In the correspondence, Cuenca expressed his support and stated that services were working at full capacity. Notably, Cuenca later completely wiped his phone, deleting all messages related to the day of the tragedy.
Crisis communication and actions of the authorities
At the height of the flood, the mayor of Utiel was actively coordinating efforts with representatives at various levels of government. In particular, he exchanged messages with the government delegate in the Valencian Community, Pilar Bernabé (PSOE), who informed him about the deployment of the military and Civil Guard units for the evacuation of residents. Gabaldón insisted on the need for on-site operational management and requested that heavy equipment be sent to help rescue people.
The documents submitted to the court also noted the absence of correspondence between the mayor and the person primarily responsible for the emergency response — former justice and internal affairs advisor Salome Pradas. The reason: her WhatsApp messages were set to be automatically deleted after a week. This gap has become a separate focus of the investigation.
Response and communication gaps
On the evening of October 29, 2024, after the Es Alert mass notification was sent, the mayor of Utiel contacted the president of the Valencia Diputación, Vicente Mompó (PP), requesting to get in touch at the earliest opportunity. These details highlight how complex and fragmented communication was between the municipality and regional bodies at a critical moment.
At the same time, scrutiny of the authorities' actions intensified after it emerged that at the moment when Utiel and other areas were dealing with the aftermath of the disaster, Carlos Mazón was outside the affected zone. According to EL PAÍS, he spent nearly four hours at the El Ventorro restaurant in Valencia with journalist Maribel Vilaplana. This fact raised questions about the leadership's priorities during the peak of the crisis.
Context and progress of the investigation
The court proceedings on the Utiel flood case continue, with new details from correspondence between officials becoming a key part of the assessment of the authorities’ actions. Questions regarding the timeliness and effectiveness of the response remain central. As previously reported, the head of Utiel has already testified that local authorities did not receive timely warnings about the scale of the impending disaster — you can read more about this in the article on the mayor of Utiel’s testimony in court.
